Mom was very alert today and talked more than she has in quite some time. The smile on her face was wonderful to see. She was very, very close to death about 6 weeks ago and has been receiving hospice care (Evergreen Hospice, which has been so generous and supportive). Somehow she has managed to overcome some amazing obstacles and grows stronger everyday.
She absolutely hates to be moved and lashes out and curses like a sailor. This is one way that dementia presents itself in her. So, she stays in bed all day which isolates her and in the long run, will not give her the strength to fight off the next bladder infection or after-effects of her reoccurring seizures. A constant question: is it better to let her lay in bed, isolated and losing muscle strength, or have her go ballistic while getting her into a wheelchair?
1 comment:
Hospice should be able to give her some halp, shouldn't they?.. is there no protocol re: a drug to take an hour or minutes before trying to move her to a wheelchair?
And, well, if there isn't.. is it pain that makes her go ballistic.. a mean nurse w/not enough help to move her efficiently, painlessly, quickly? And if it were to be done REGULARLY, has she enough memory to know what to expect if the same pattern is followed each day at the same time? Is there a goal to the wheeling around.. a place w/something she'd appreciate seeing/doing/eating/watching or sharing? Is there some handsome strong guy-nurse she knows, trusts, likes? Someone who could spear head the daily effort to get her up & about? Is there a TV program she likes but you make it a pre-requisite for her to get into the wheelchair to see it?
Can you get her to sit up more if she knows you're sketching her picture? Is there anything she wants you can entice her with or does she just want to be left alone, no TV, no music, no nice nightie to change in to, no warm bathing to look forward to, no hairbrushing/hairdressing, skin soothing care, nail cleaning, etc.?
Will she listen if you read her an old, loved, familiar story? Go through old family photo albums? A favorite comic strip from ages ago?
A Laurel & Hardy or Charlie Chaplin film? What makes her laugh, anything? Well, what did she love once before & can it be a key to unlocking some quality of life improvement, even if brief?
Has she pride in anything you know about? Besides you, I mean?
Don't give up. Most people kick & scream when they are confined by a change in physical ability.. it's enfuriating, frustrating, scary, & full of losses & grief which has to be eleviated somehow.. starting w/anti-depressants, maybe.. and then every kind of encouragement that doesn't make an ass of you. Godsspeed!
Post a Comment