YouTube Q&A!
Have a question? Get it answered via YouTube video! Email short, concise questions to rachaelwonderlin(at)gmail.com by Sunday, Oct. 9th and receive a video answer posted to my page!
October 7, 2016
Tag: answers
Have a question? Ask me LIVE!
I’m debuting a new program where readers (and new visitors to my site!) can ask me questions live over the phone. How does it work? $25 will get you an hour-long phone call with me. I’ll answer any of your dementia-related questions to the best of my ability. We’ll problem-solve and troubleshoot your loved one’s dementia-related behaviors, talk about care, or even discuss your interest in the field of aging. As long as it’s about dementia or long-term care, I’ll do my best to help you! See more information here. I will call your phone directly from my Skype name.
January 13, 2016
Is It Really Late-Stage Alzheimer's?
Email Question: “My husband is 84 has had AD for approx 8 years. According to Dr he is mid stage 6. Except for not remembering, his basic skills are very good, grooming, dressing, walking, conversation. He can read anything you give him including newspapers and read aloud in context and discuss parts of what he has read. He helps in the house (cued to get him started) I almost at times think this is senility, can a person with Alzheimer’s be able to do all he does while coming down to the finish line (stage 7?)” Well, there is technically no such thing as “senility.” When people used to say “senile,” they were really referring to dementia, but no one knew what dementia was. This is a pretty weird case, honestly. I am not a physician, but I am wondering if the doctor was right about this. For one thing, your husband definitely doesn’t sound like he’s in a late stage of Alzheimer’s, like stage 6. I’m also wondering if he has Alzheimer’s at all, or perhaps another type of dementia. You said he’s able to take care of all of his ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) and can even read and discuss parts of articles. I would really recommend taking him to a specialist, like a neurologist, to get him checked out again. I “stage” my residents on a regular basis, and, just from what you said, I wouldn’t put him in a stage 6. It sounds like he’s more moderate, not late, dementia.
January 3, 2015
My mother always is waiting for someone to take her home to her mother home. Most times this is late afternoon and she does definitely suffer from sundowners. Many times we can distract her and say tomorrow knowing that she won't remember it but sometimes it really upsets her as she won't be distracted. Do you have any suggestions
We have a lot of residents who feel the same way later in the afternoon. – Does something trigger her anxiety? For example, we have a resident who starts yelling for her parents, but after we give her something to eat, she calms down because she’s usually just hungry. – I would find out if something is triggering her behavior. I would also find out WHY she wants to go see her mom. We have a resident who usually thinks her mom is sick and wants to go take care of her. Sometimes telling her that a caregiver is already at the house helps. – Keep in mind that what works once will not work every single time. – I would suggest to her that you’d take her now, but it’s getting dark, and you prefer to wait until the morning to drive over. (I have used this many times with certain people.) – I would try talking to her about her mom, but in the present tense. You’re on the right track by “embracing her reality” and letting her know that you can go tomorrow. – If she wants to talk to her mom, could you let her call a blank voicemail and leave a message? That way she’d feel as though she let her mom know that she’d be there tomorrow. Hope that one or all of these help you!
January 3, 2015
When Should a Person Move From Dementia Care to a SNF?
Tess’ question: “At what point is a sweet-natured senior with dementia no longer an appropriate candidate for living in a memory care facility? Can memory care facilities give the increased hands-on care someone in the later stages of AD needs to receive? In your opinion, when should an AD sufferer go to a skilled nursing facility instead of a memory care facility?” At our dementia care community, we are able to provide a lot of hands-on care for people. There is a point, however, where it may be better (and perhaps cheaper) to choose a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) for your loved one. Here is what I’d look at: – Can your loved one still walk? Even if it’s with a walker or cane, she won’t need help being transferred. – Can she eat by herself or does she need to be fed? – Will she be able to participate in activities that the dementia care community provides? – Will she be able to interact with other residents in a dementia care community? If you think she’s able to interact with other residents and participate in activities, then she should definitely still be in a dementia care community, even if she needs help getting around and eating. You want to make sure that, no matter what, her living situation is as positive as possible. When it gets to a point that she’s wheelchair or bed-bound constantly, needs to be fed, and can’t interact with others, then it’s probably time for a SNF.
January 3, 2015
