The Lighter Side Of Alzheimers But What's My Excuse!

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
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Essex
Thankyou to everyone who responded to my 'Befriender' thread!

This week there have been some trying moments such as dad putting the electric kettle on the gas stove, the panic button arriving on Tuesday disappearing on Wednesday and turning up today in the biscuit tin (also it was pressed by dad before it disappeared!) and today talking to dad who had his hearing aids in but not the batteries but there have also been some lighter moments. On Sunday dad was going to help me put the washing out so I asked him to put the extra line out whilst I went to put the dark washing in the machine. When I went to help dad put the rest of the washing out I found that instead of putting the other line out he put the garden furniture out as if the sparkling winter's day was a hot summer's day. Then yesterday evening I was coming downstairs to say goodbye to dad and the carer before going to orchestra and the carer, who was one of the unfortunate male carers (dad prefers ladies) was trying to give him his bedtime medicine. There were only two pills namely donepezil and statins and the carer was having such trouble trying to give dad his medicine so he was asking him to take at least one and I heard dad say 'okay I'll take one whilst you take the other' followed by 'you first'! I managed to get dad to take his medicine but heaven knows what this medicine would have done to a healthy person. I couldn't help but smile and admire the carer's patience!

MaNaAk
 

DeMartin

Registered User
Jul 4, 2017
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Kent
Re the kettle, there was a video that was posted, brilliant idea, if a PWD puts the electric kettle on the stove, get them an old fashioned whistling one.
Get the carer to have a mint handy to take,

A sunny day is a sunny day, even in January , wrapped warm 10 minutes sun is a delight, just to sit and enjoy, followed by hot chocolate.
 

Rolypoly

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Jan 15, 2018
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Loved the tablet comments. Thank heavens there is a lighter side to make us smile
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
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Essex
Lovely to hear from you both! I have replaced the kettle with a cheap one from Argos although a whistling one probably would have been better. However I was able to take out 'accidental damage' cover even when I said that dad has Alzheimers so let's see what happens. By the way I think that the alarm pendant was pro bably crying for help when it was put in the biscuit tin because it went off just beforehand!

MaNaAk
 

Rolypoly

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Jan 15, 2018
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With the alarm pendant, maybe your dad was playing a version of hunt the thimble, and giving you a clue
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
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Essex
Hello everyone!

I was a bit fed up earlier this week and today dad spoke about going home but there is a lighter side to this week. Yesterday I got dad up to his bedroom by saying that I need to take a look at his fracture, which seems to be healing quite well, and he managed to get his pyjama top on before I reminded him to put his pyjama bottoms on. Anyway when I went to check on him he was trying to put his pyjama bottoms on his head! I corrected him and then I gave him a cuddle and I said 'you were trying to put your pyjama bottoms on via your head'. Anyway Roly Poly I still haven't found the pink arm sling yet!

MaNaAk
 

Rolypoly

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Jan 15, 2018
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The other night I was helping mum get her clothes ready for the next day. She got a bit muddled when it came to getting socks out - she produced a pair of knickers instead! We had a laugh when I said I’d like to see her try and wear them on her feet. She often confuses tops and bottoms when getting an outfit ready, and we would end up with two tops and no bottoms.

That dratted pink sling will turn up when least expected and when you have forgotten all about it :D
 

MaNaAk

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Jun 19, 2016
11,754
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Essex
The other night I was helping mum get her clothes ready for the next day. She got a bit muddled when it came to getting socks out - she produced a pair of knickers instead! We had a laugh when I said I’d like to see her try and wear them on her feet. She often confuses tops and bottoms when getting an outfit ready, and we would end up with two tops and no bottoms.

That dratted pink sling will turn up when least expected and when you have forgotten all about it :D

Dear Roly,

Yesterday I spent a day in London with a friend and dad was left with a carer. At some point when our backs were turned dad did away with the personal alarm and I now have no idea where it is. Anyway whilst I was looking for this the dratted pink arm sling turned up in a drawer and it was at this point that I realise that dad has one or two hiding places. One of them is the chest of drawers in the front with the literature from the Alzheimers Society but I have yet to find the other hiding places.

MaNaAk
 

Rolypoly

Registered User
Jan 15, 2018
2,319
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Dear Roly,

Yesterday I spent a day in London with a friend and dad was left with a carer. At some point when our backs were turned dad did away with the personal alarm and I now have no idea where it is. Anyway whilst I was looking for this the dratted pink arm sling turned up in a drawer and it was at this point that I realise that dad has one or two hiding places. One of them is the chest of drawers in the front with the literature from the Alzheimers Society but I have yet to find the other hiding places.

MaNaAk

:D:D

Good luck playing hunt the alarm. You might need to think outside the box to find the hiding places.;)
 

Tralouise

Registered User
Nov 27, 2017
25
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Sometimes it's so hard not to laugh! Mum was at the dentist trying her new dentures, she said she hated them as they made her look like a horse and she would never beable to eat with them. I suggested she try to chew (I meant as I had a cereal bar in my bag) with that she nearly bit the dentists finger off - she then told him they don't fit and he said they fit perfectly, so she took them out handed them to him and said you try them they are too big!!!
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
11,754
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Essex
:D:D

Good luck playing hunt the alarm. You might need to think outside the box to find the hiding places.;)

Dear Roly,

Just before bedtim on Wednesday I decided to have a look in dad's desk which is adjacent to wear I found dad's pink arm sling and guess what I found the personal alarm. Anyway I put it beside the modem and phone in the hall way and at 6.30 am I heard some knocking. I went downstairs and found dad looking out of the window and got him to go back to bed. Anyway later that day I dialled 1471 to see if anyone had phoned up and I found that someone had phoned at 04.59 am and it gave the telephone number personal alarm operator!

I was full of questions who knocked on the door? Was it really dad? If it was the persoanl alarm people why didn't they ring my mobile number and why didn't they ring my brother? Dad must have come downstairs inhis confused state and seen the personal alarm by the modem and thought it's turned up lets give it a press and see what happens. Heaven knows what happened and I must have been dead to the world because I slept through most of his wandering that night!

He must have been rather disappointed that his second hiding place had been found!

MaNaAk

PS: As if this wasn't enough he decided to take the batteries out of his hearing aids last night and today he walked about with his hearing aids in but without their batteries and driving me mad!
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
11,754
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Essex
Sometimes it's so hard not to laugh! Mum was at the dentist trying her new dentures, she said she hated them as they made her look like a horse and she would never beable to eat with them. I suggested she try to chew (I meant as I had a cereal bar in my bag) with that she nearly bit the dentists finger off - she then told him they don't fit and he said they fit perfectly, so she took them out handed them to him and said you try them they are too big!!!

Dear Tralouise,

It is almost two years since dad had dentures made and he has done his best to avoid using them. Anyway to start with he wanted them but then he changed his mind. He said they don't fit and no matter how much we tried to explain how dentures work with fixodent we couldn't change his mind. I didn't suggest he try to chew with them but he seemed to sort of remember that he had some loose teeth removed so he asked for them back!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We kept explaining that he couldn't have his tteth back but we kept having to repeat ourselves. In the end the dentist the suggested that I might want to record my conversations with dad as proof (I tried this but it only works for one second)!

Also one of dad's dental appointments ended with him trying to leave through the door that said staff only on it!

MaNaAk
 

19LWL

New member
Dec 4, 2017
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I like this thread.

On my visit to mum last week (who it now seems is gradually starting to settle in to the home that she's been at since early December) we had a very surreal few moments.

It began when a gentleman (David) who it now turns out is, shall we say, mum's 'admirer', came over to our table and tapped her on the shoulder. The conversation went along these lines: David: "hope these two are looking after you?"; mum: "yes, it's lovely to see them, I haven't seen them for oh must be 6 months now" [It was 1 week]; David: "Oh no, I think it's much longer than that!" [I should point out at this stage that, other than recognising him from previous visits, we don't know him from Adam and vice versa.

Anyway, as this conversation continued another lady wanders in and says "Awfully sorry, excuse me, is there anyone here who can take me home?". We are in the process of deflecting that one when another lady ambles up and asks "Has anyone seen any coffee?". At this stage all I need is Basil Fawlty to stride in and berate one of them for demanding a room with a view!!!

I know it's very sad for all these individuals and I feel very cruel for laughing at their expense. But sometimes, you just gotta laugh...
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
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Yes, you've got to try to keep a sense of humour. My Mum has had 3 visits to the hospital this week, for a broken hand and then a cut head. Anyone who has tried to keep a PWD amused/happy during a wait of several hours in A&E will know how trying that is :( Mum was getting very 'ratty' with me and kept trying to get out of the wheelchair they had put her in, although a supply of chocolate biscuits helped. Anyway, we eventually got through to the triage stage and as Mum (who is tiny) was being wheeled through the crowds to a cubicle - with a bandage wrapped all round her head and a plaster cast on - she started beaming, saying Hello and waving her plaster cast grandly at everyone else in the queue as though she was the Queen on a public visit, which seemed to cheer some of them up too :D
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
11,754
0
Essex
I like this thread.

On my visit to mum last week (who it now seems is gradually starting to settle in to the home that she's been at since early December) we had a very surreal few moments.

It began when a gentleman (David) who it now turns out is, shall we say, mum's 'admirer', came over to our table and tapped her on the shoulder. The conversation went along these lines: David: "hope these two are looking after you?"; mum: "yes, it's lovely to see them, I haven't seen them for oh must be 6 months now" [It was 1 week]; David: "Oh no, I think it's much longer than that!" [I should point out at this stage that, other than recognising him from previous visits, we don't know him from Adam and vice versa.

Anyway, as this conversation continued another lady wanders in and says "Awfully sorry, excuse me, is there anyone here who can take me home?". We are in the process of deflecting that one when another lady ambles up and asks "Has anyone seen any coffee?". At this stage all I need is Basil Fawlty to stride in and berate one of them for demanding a room with a view!!!

I know it's very sad for all these individuals and I feel very cruel for laughing at their expense. But sometimes, you just gotta laugh...

You have to laugh to keep sane!

MaNaAk
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
11,754
0
Essex
:D:D

Good luck playing hunt the alarm. You might need to think outside the box to find the hiding places.;)

Dear Roly,

I'm just letting you know that one of my neighbour's told me that the knocking was dad knocking on the window. All I can say is thank goodnes we've got such wonderful neighbours becasue otherwise they might think this is a mad house!

MaNaAk
 

Moggymad

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May 12, 2017
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When visiting mum the other day in her care home we were sitting in her room when there was a loud bang bang on the door. I shouted come in but no-one did. Went to the door to find a very irate resident telling me she was going to have to walk 14 miles to Hinckley now because the bus hasn't turned up & no-one will come & get her. Then off she went up the corridor!
As a visitor I'm often mistaken as one of the carers. Even my mum thinks I live there!
 

Rolypoly

Registered User
Jan 15, 2018
2,319
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Dear Roly,

I'm just letting you know that one of my neighbour's told me that the knocking was dad knocking on the window. All I can say is thank goodnes we've got such wonderful neighbours becasue otherwise they might think this is a mad house!

MaNaAk

At least that’s one mystery solved.

Mum likes waving at children too, also smiling at them and laughing at them, but has been known to tut loudly and make loud comments about how they should be parented if the child is misbehaving. I expect you know the sort of thing :oops:

Don’t get me started on dentures! Luckily she doesn’t wear a hearing aid.