Sugar in her coffee

Sarasa

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Apr 13, 2018
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Nottinghamshire
@Bikerbeth, I'm sorry to hear that, but good on the home not letting you speak to mum. I had a couple of occasions when mum was first in the home where they put her on the phone to me so she could rage at me about being there. Mind you she never held me directly responsible. Hopefully it is a UTI and they can get her sorted.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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I think your mum will probably still be quite stressed from going to the funeral, the journey plus the occasion itself will have taken it out of her. In first few months my mother was never angry, she was either cheerful or very "woe is me, I'm not long for this world" - the latter was usually because she was unwell, I think she had two or three UTIs in the early days. If it is a UTI the behaviour should be shortlived.

My mother forgot she had any money, so at least she didn't accuse me of stealing it! She used to ask me how she could afford to stay at the CH, I told her it was okay, she didn't have to pay :D
 

DesperateofDevon

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Jul 7, 2019
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I think I spoke in hope too soon @DesperateofDevon. Unfortunately ‘nice Mum’ has gone again. I rang the home to speak to Mum and the Carer tactfully suggested that maybe not to speak to her today. They said all her stuff is packed in a plastic bag again and she told the Care staff I am trying to kill her as I want all her money. She told brother I had been whispering about her in the car all the way back from the funeral. CH are going to test her for a UTI. Nursing Manager has also confirmed that she has stopped showering and has started ‘weeing’ in inappropriate places according to the staff. All situations I have read about on this forum and half expecting but it has still made me have a cry.
They are going to let me know the results of the test tomorrow and then will have to decide whether I visit or not on Saturday.
It’s horrid I know, but you need to step back a while from visiting.Let the home sort out the UTI etc & then visit.
This stage will fade away as the dementia journey progresses, sadly you will look back at some point & yearn for the Mum with attitude!
Nice Mum will return at some point- just hang on to that sweet memory. ((((((hugs)))))) my lovely & I think the tears are only to be expected! Xx
 

Bikerbeth

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Feb 11, 2019
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Bedford
I learnt from Care Home no UTI so with some trepidation I headed to the Care Home with smile in place and positive thoughts this morning. She was pleased to see me but she did say she wondered where I had been, so I just said I had been poorly. She had been out with an old friend to buy Christmas cards last week so I suggested she might like to write the cards but I could do the envelopes for her ‘because of her arthritic fingers’ she seemed pleased with that idea and we found a small empty lounge. One of the lovely experienced carers (whose Mum has dementia) gave us a plateful of biscuits to go with the coffee I had made. Apart from one or two comments like ‘ I guess I won’t see them again being stuck here’ we got the cards done for nieces/nephews/grandchildren and their children and some close friends. So quite a bit of potential for the situation to get difficult but successfully distracted/diverted. We managed to have a chat as we did them about the various people. Carer came back and brought some more coffee and stayed for a chat mentioning ‘that it was great that she had such lovely children’. Mum likes this carer and he obviously said this deliberately as he knows the situation. So thinking it best to leave on a high I left Mum heading to the dining room for her Roast Sunday Lunch. Headed home via the shops and put marzipan on the Christmas cake this afternoon. Seems to be a bit of a marzipan shortage in my area as it was only in the 3rd large supermarket I found some.
 

Dimpsy

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Sep 2, 2019
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I've just caught up with your thread @Bikerbeth, love lies smoothed the way, good.
As far as cakes go, it's all gone a bit wrong this year, the Christmas cake is still in packets in the pantry. I'm sure I've read somewhere of a last minute CC recipe; planning on making mine tomorrow and hope the supermarket's have re-stocked marzipan by the time I need some.
 

Bikerbeth

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Feb 11, 2019
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Bedford
I've just caught up with your thread @Bikerbeth, love lies smoothed the way, good.
As far as cakes go, it's all gone a bit wrong this year, the Christmas cake is still in packets in the pantry. I'm sure I've read somewhere of a last minute CC recipe; planning on making mine tomorrow and hope the supermarket's have re-stocked marzipan by the time I need some.
I am usually last minute but actually got the cake made quite a while ago. I did have a ‘maturing’ Xmas pud made late last year that I thought would be ok for this Christmas. However OH in October was not convinced and said it would have gone off so he got it out of the garage, ate it over 4 days and then said it was fine! However as he is the Christmas Day cook I cannot really complain.
 

Dimpsy

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Sep 2, 2019
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Haha, that made me laugh, I too have a "taste tester" husband, who today opened the two different types of chutney I made in October, to see if they are ready - seems they are. My retaliation? I've had some onions sat in a bowl for a while, forlornly waiting to be pickled. I asked OH if he would skin them whilst I wrote the Christmas cards, which he did. His face was all puffy from crying so much, but at least he's got lovely clear sinuses now!
 

Bikerbeth

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Feb 11, 2019
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Bedford
Gave Mum a ring tonight. She told me carol singers had come to the ‘hospice’ but they stayed at the end of the driveway and only sang 2 carols which were not even proper Christmas carols. She also asked me if I had her ‘new’ Pj’s as she could not find them. I think because her PJ’s are like a t shirt top and bottoms that coordinate rather than match she struggles to recognise the top that goes with the bottom. So the new ones were checked trousers with a plain red T-shirt. Will have to have a creative think about how I get round that.
 

jugglingmum

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Jan 5, 2014
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Chester
Re pj's can you find red trousers and checked top in another shop to create matching ones if that is what she can recognise.

Laughing at the food testers.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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My mother has those type of PJ sets (as do I) - from M&S. My mother now has to be helped to dress though so it doesn't matter - and she wouldn't have a clue if anything matched either!

Can the carers help by leaving them as a 'set' on her pillow, or will she insist they've got it wrong? If so I think the only way round it would be to buy a genuinely matching pair of PJs for her (she will then probably say they aren't her usual PJs... solve one problem, encounter another...)
 

Bikerbeth

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Feb 11, 2019
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Bedford
Well for a few hours we have matching PJ sets and Mum assures me that if I put them in that precise spot in the wardrobe they will be fine. I think I will have it added into the care plan to have the Carers put the pj’s out or perhaps when the bed is made the pj’s are ‘visible’ under the pillow.(thanks @Sirena and @jugglingmum for suggestions) When I arrived she asked me if ‘Mum and Dad are coming to visit’ and I said nothing today’ and she said ‘they are dead aren’t they?’ She does seem to be confusing me more with her sister. Later she did introduce me to the other residents on her floor (again) as her daughter. Nice visit though generally again as we went up to the little town centre and Mum brought a birthday card for her great niece. We went back to the CH and finished the Christmas cards (all written except mine as brother very unlikely to remind her). we had a nice lunch together in the main residential dining room. Staff had said to Mum about having her lunch down there with the other ‘non dementia residents’ which she did do initially for a bit more conversation but she told me today that generally she prefers to have her meals upstairs. That appears a bit more positive as in maybe a little more settled. We did have a few comments about not being able to see a few old friends because of the distance. Stayed for a coffee and then left her when the children from the local primary school came in to sing carols to all the residents.
When I say to Mum about coming to mine for Christmas lunch she says she will have a think about it or that does not want to spoil our plans even though I reassured her we did not have any plans as we wanted her to come to lunch. I had decided in my own mind that actually she just wanted to stay at the home. However her GP friend (experienced with dementia) who visited Mum said she really wanted to come to ours for lunch and was anxious we were not going to ask her.
 
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Sirena

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Feb 27, 2018
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I suspect your mother is experiencing both those thoughts - that she wants to stay at the CH and also wants to come to yours. What she wants depends on when you ask, and she'd probably be happy with both. Fingers crossed for the PJs!

I also wonder if she feels more comfortable having meals on the dementia floor because she feels she doesn't have to 'put on her gameface' there. My mother had been quite anxious at home where all the people she mixed with were non-dementia, she had to try to keep up with them and the world was quite confusing. But in the CH that anxiety fell away because she didn't have the stress of 'pretending' because everyone was like her.
 

Dimpsy

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Sep 2, 2019
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My mum can't handle decision making, I think that she has lost the ability and always asks me to do it for her.
If you want your mum to come to you, tell her that, with no ifs or buts. If you want her to spend Christmas in the home, tell her that too - except couch it in a friendlier fashion!
I'm sure your mum will be happy to go along with any decision you make, and relieved that she hasn't had to choose.
 

Bikerbeth

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Feb 11, 2019
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Bedford
Thanks @Dimpsy. Mum is usually ok with a couple of choices but obviously this is a big decision. I was going to change my approach today as you say and tell her that I will be picking her at xx time on Christmas Day. Providing no adverse reaction that is what I will do. Thanks
 

Dimpsy

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Sep 2, 2019
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Thanks @Dimpsy. Mum is usually ok with a couple of choices but obviously this is a big decision. I was going to change my approach today as you say and tell her that I will be picking her at xx time on Christmas Day. Providing no adverse reaction that is what I will do. Thanks

Hi @Bikerbeth, I've just re-read my last message, gosh I sound a right bossy-boots! Excuse - it was late after a veeeeeeeery long day at work with our Christmas special.

Simple things like what shall we have for dinner, I encourage mum to choose between this or that, in my simple mind I think it's exercising her brain (probably wrong), but anything major we have a chat, and occasionally she can decide but more often than not she asks me to decide for her.

I must admit sometimes I find it hard to make decisions (again in my simple mind), I feel I start the day with a brain that can cope with a number of decision making tick boxes (say 100), then choice number 101 comes along and I'm stuffed, brain weary. Guess it's my age showing me up!

Good luck with your Christmas invite.
 

Sirena

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Feb 27, 2018
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@Dimpsy I had just read your previous post and was thinking I like your style :D

Beth I think you're right to decide for her and then check her reaction. My mother cannot even decide which chair to go and sit in when I arrive at the CH, which feels so strange as it's her who lives there and (in theory) knows the place inside out.
 

Bikerbeth

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Feb 11, 2019
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Bedford
Hi @Bikerbeth, I've just re-read my last message, gosh I sound a right bossy-boots! Excuse - it was late after a veeeeeeeery long day at work with our Christmas special.

Simple things like what shall we have for dinner, I encourage mum to choose between this or that, in my simple mind I think it's exercising her brain (probably wrong), but anything major we have a chat, and occasionally she can decide but more often than not she asks me to decide for her.

I must admit sometimes I find it hard to make decisions (again in my simple mind), I feel I start the day with a brain that can cope with a number of decision making tick boxes (say 100), then choice number 101 comes along and I'm stuffed, brain weary. Guess it's my age showing me up!

Good luck with your Christmas invite.
I never took it as being bossy. Always open to suggestions. My Mum sounds similar stage regarding decisions. I was just a bit cautious as she was becoming very paranoid about me (nobody else) but seems a bit better now. what you said about decision making each day rings so true - I know some days I just turn round to OH and say you make the decision I made enough today for me and Mum already
 

Dimpsy

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Sep 2, 2019
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I never took it as being bossy. Always open to suggestions. My Mum sounds similar stage regarding decisions. I was just a bit cautious as she was becoming very paranoid about me (nobody else) but seems a bit better now. what you said about decision making each day rings so true - I know some days I just turn round to OH and say you make the decision I made enough today for me and Mum already

That's EXACTLY what I say to my OH, I get to the point where I just cannot for the life of me decide any more and ask him to do it.
Do you think that's the same thought pattern/process as our PWD's experience?
Do you think we are in the early stages of you know what?
 

Bikerbeth

Registered User
Feb 11, 2019
2,119
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Bedford
So @Sirena and @Dimpsy it worked. As we headed off to The supermarket in the car I casually said I will pick you up about 10am on Christmas Morning and she said Yes - hurrah. I will remind again.
Yesterday when I rang she sounded quite aggressive towards me as the Doctor had been in. Her tone suggested that I knew all about it and was trying to ‘trick her’. I knew nothing genuinely so I said speak to X the senior carer on that day (who is very good) I gave it 30 mins and then spoke to X who said GP was coming in to see a couple of other patients and just saw Mum whilst she was there to check Mum was Ok. X had explained this to Mum and after some repetition Mum was fine with it. Today on the visit I decided to be bold and ask Mum if she had spoken to X about the Doctor and Mum said Yes it was all sorted.
We headed out to supermarket to buy some more shampoo which she needed and more toothpaste and make up which she didn’t. There again if she has 3 tubes of toothpaste there maybe a chance of her finding one at least. I pointed out some silly Men’s socks in the clothing section to make her smile and she said she would buy them for my OH for his Xmas present and what else would he like. (Hopefully this means he is out of her bad books as well)
Just need to go up to her to her room with the maintenance man and tell her that he is going to put her suitcases in the storage room (so I can sneak them out). She broke a drawer in the wardrobe standing on it to try and get the cases down and today before I arrived she had moved a small chair and stood on it to see what was in the case. I think if we remove them without saying anything she will become suspicious. All in all a good visit
 
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