A Band-aid for the Caregiver: In a Panic...

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

In a Panic...

Mom was very worried about our impending visit, so much so that she asked a neighbor to drive her to the emergency room the morning Louisa and I were to arrive. I had flown in from Maryland, picked up Louisa at her house and driven the 350 miles to Mom’s house in West Texas.

We were worried, too – worried about how she would adjust to living with Alzheimer’s – but nothing prepared us for the scared disheveled woman who eventually answered the door. Her face had lost all color and she was visibly shaking. Perhaps, the most telling sign of how tense she felt was the big foam collar encircling her neck.

“Mom, what happened to you,” Louisa asked and flung her arms around Mom. Mom cautiously invited us in and began to describe the pain in her neck that had sent her to the hospital that morning. She seemed so small and frail and afraid.

There would be many instances in the next few months that told us how terrified she was of the uncertainties she faced, the memories she could no longer call to mind, and the nightmares she believed were coming true. Relatives chased her with pitchforks, strangers peered in the windows at her, and she lived in horror of being forced to move into the Big House where residents “only received one diaper a day.”

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My sister and I didn’t know how to help her, for little we said or did lessened her paranoia. Over the next three years we learned that anxiety is common among those with dementia. It caused us as much distress to see her so uncomfortable as it did for her to go through it all. Eventually, we found that loving care of home healthcare aides and specialized attention in an Alzheimer’s center, combined with appropriate medications, gave her contentment again. She was finally free of fear.

(To read the complete blog, please CLICK HERE, or visit the sidebar to the right.)

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A Bandaid for the Caregiver is dedicated to all those families who journey with memory loss in their lives and the sharing of hope and joy and new possibilities. In each difficult moment there lies an opportunity for love.

Journey with courage,
Elaine

Author of:

"Conversations with Nora: a Family's Journey with Alzheimer's"

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About Alzheimer's...

An early warning sign for Alzheimer’s may be vision problems. In approximately 60 percent of Alzheimer’s patients, changes in vision occur and can be misdiagnosed as related to an eye condition, when the problem may well be a decline in spatial perception brought on by a change in the brain.

Spatial relationships refer to where an object is located in relation to another object and how fast an object may be moving in relation to another. A person’s ability to make sound decisions or to reason regarding those objects is affected when Alzheimer’s enters the picture. A deficit in determining spatial relationships and to make decisions based on their perception most notably affects one’s ability to drive, operate machinery or equipment, and even in smaller tasks such a preparing a meal.

The Alzheimer’s patient may overreach for the salt and pepper shaker, slice through a finger instead of a carrot, or pour hot coffee onto the countertop rather than into a cup. It is easy to see how these types of inability to correctly identify and to make adjustments would be hazardous when driving. Once the individual’s depth perception, acuity for judging speed and transitioning from darkness to light is compromised, it is time to stop driving.

Understanding spatial relationships is also key in correctly identifying numbers and their relationship to one another. The linear number line is a concept which requires a firm grasp on determining ever changing relationships between small and large numbers, negative and positive numbers, and the computation of arithmetic and geometry calculations. Going to the grocery store and trying to determine which product is a better buy is compromised when the ability to perceive numerical spatial relationships breaks down. Even knowing if the last deposit in a bank account is $1,000 or $10,000 becomes garbled in the Alzheimer’s mind.

Many times, the person afflicted with Alzheimer’s is completely unaware that there is an issue with a lack of perception and cognitive ability due to spatial impairment. One of the most important things to remember about the disease process is that spatial misperceptions is prevalent in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and will become more pervasive in each progressing stage.

Common Problems in Early Alzheimer's (Heritage Assisted Living)

Learning About Spatial Relationships Boosts Understanding of Numbers (University of Chicago News: June 13, 2013)

Caregiver Tips...

When Dad complains that he can’t see like he used to and before rushing him off to an eye doctor, try to determine the source of his complaint. The decline in his visual capacity may be in recognizing spatial relationships and more precisely one of these four areas:

Motion blindness – inability to sense movement. He may be viewing the world in a series of still photos rather than a moving picture.

Depth perception – three-dimensional objects appear flat. A shadow or a dark rug may appear to Dad as a hole in the floor.

Color perception – colors look the same. The difference between blue and violet may become indistinguishable to him.

Contrast in colors - can’t differentiate objects with the same color. Dad can’t find the toilet because it is white against a white floor and white walls.

Tips for helping Dad overcome these deficits include an increased use of the color red because it is easier to see than colors in the blue-violet range. Increase the color contrast in a room by placing dissimilar colored object against one another. Painting a baseboard a different color may help him distinguish between the wall and the floor. Increase the wattage of light bulbs and reduce glare by closing blinds and drawing shades. Place cloths over shiny surfaces, such as glass or metal. Keep the lights on in rooms Dad frequents because going from light to dark and vice-versus can be confusing. Help him see the transition to steps or doorways by placing contrasting colored rugs in front of them. Avoid the use of black for such transitions, as he may perceive this as a hole in the floor. Place contrasting color tape on the edge of each stair step.

Read more about it in the article: Vision Problems Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Staying Positive...

Living with Alzheimer’s in your family is desperately difficult at times. Sometimes laughter is the only coping tool a caregiver has, but its power to bring a sparkle to someone’s day is huge. Humor gives a sense of control over the disease and its unpredictable course, and gives the person living with Alzheimer’s dignity. It can calm and reassure and send a much-needed message of lightheartedness and joy.

So, Mom sees things a little differently now. Her view of the world may be a little whacky, but it can lead to some funny moments. Enjoy those times when humor arrives unexpectedly. Choose to see the funny side of life with Alzheimer’s – like Mom packing her suitcase for a trip to the hospital and taking nothing but her bathing suits thinking that they were nightgowns. Share a good laugh together as you help her repack the suitcase!

Caregivers can also be the ones to interject humor into the day. I read recently where a daughter sprayed her dogs with food coloring to match every holiday and brought them over as her mother’s personal pet therapy. They spent hours combing, braiding, and adorning the dogs for whatever festivity it happened to be. If it was not a holiday, the daughter made one up and the joy continued.

Researchers at Utah State University recently discovered that the decline in brain functioning among Alzheimer’s individuals was dramatically slowed when caregivers utilized higher level “positive” coping strategies such as sound problem-solving skills, seeking social support, and counting blessings rather than negatives. So, take a bold step and seek the positive side of looking at things. (Read more about this finding in my IN THE NEWS SECTION above.)

Treat Yourself...

Take a new look at your activity level. Exercise is a tremendous way to shoot more endorphins into your system and give your happiness level a boost. Set Mom or Dad up with a sitter and go for a walk, run down to the corner store, take in a scenic bike ride and schedule yourself for a yoga class.

Not into exercise? Try meditation. Studies show that regularly meditating increases antibody production and, therefore, brings on that happiness feeling we all crave. Meditating involves some of the same mechanisms as exercise - namely breath control, focus and tuning out of external stresses. Take a few minutes while Mom or Dad or napping and learn the art of meditation.

Read more on the link between exercise, meditation and happiness at HowStuffWorks. http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/exercise-happiness2.htm/printable

Gentle Reminder: You are in charge of how you view the world. While your parent’s vision is declining and he or she has not choice in how they perceive their world, you can choose to see the more positive side of things.

A Band-aid for the Caregiver

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

In a Panic...

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