Blog entries

Life after Alzheimers

Cindy ODonnell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:29:51 +0100

It has almost been 3 months since you left us. Your smile, your laugh, and that twinkle in your eyes. During the last couple of years you may not have been able to verbalize with us what you were feeling but you always showed that you loved us. When we entered the final days and the medication was gone it surprised us at how well you could communicate with us. When we spoke to you and talked about good times we had shared you would squeeze our hand, reach up to give a ...

Another "time flies" message

Barbara Dylla — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:08:33 +0100

I feel really bad for not keeping up "My story" and not being more pro-active on this site. I sometimes feel terribly disorganized and unable to keep up with things. Tonight I'm working on my parents' expenses from October... Bookkeeping is rarely anyone's favourite task, but it must be done. Especially as money is owed to me, and my December credit card statements are pretty hefty.

Having said that, my father is doing really well. He's at a good weight, his team of caregiver...

need help with Christmas!

Catherine Woodman — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:55:57 +0100

My mom is coming to live in our home for 10 days at Christmas and I need some coping strategies. I believe she will ask to go "home" about three hours after she arrives and won't stop asking. ideas please?

You will be missed

Cindy ODonnell — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:15:07 +0100

It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to a great man. Today my Father in law passed away peacefully in his sleep. He is now at peace from this horrible disease. Love you Papa with all my heart.

We are in the final days now

Cindy ODonnell — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:12:40 +0100

We got the call last evening that Dad (my father in law) may not make it through the night. They started palliative care about a week ago and he has been deteriorating slowly each day. To our amaze he is still hanging on with each breathe he takes.

Back to the hospital we go......

Cindy ODonnell — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:13:49 +0100

Oct 11, 2011

Just when I thought we might be making headway, we went backwards. Oct 11th my Dad was suppose to go to an outpatient program that would help him deal with all of the life changes he recently has had to deal with. When I enter his room at the retirement home I knew right away that we would not be going to the outpatient program but instead going to the emergency room and having him admitted. His behaviour was...let's just say scary. My sister an...

Feeling Drained

Cindy ODonnell — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:25:31 +0100

When I first started blogging on this site I spoke about my Father in law who I also call Dad. He was diagnosed with Alzheimers. Since then my Mother in law passed away in Nov 2010 which I also blogged about. Then recently my Father has been diagnosed with Dementia. Just when I thought life was returning to some kind of normalcy and that I could focus on my career, my life is entering a different direction.

My Father in law is now in another stage of t...

Sept 7th hospital discharge and a new life begins

Cindy ODonnell — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:02:36 +0100

Discharging Dad from the hospital and then introducing him to his new life in a retirement residence was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I know we did this several years ago with my Father in law when we had to put him in a long term care facility and I figured I would be okay, but this time it was my father and he was confused, difficult and angry. Having your independence ripped away from you after one month of being hospitalized would be hard on anyone.&n...

Diagnosis.....Mental illness mixed with Dementia....age 68

Cindy ODonnell — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:21:04 +0100

The scan showed brain shrinkage and damage to the brain due to many small strokes. Lifestyle also played a factor as well. August 27th Dad was due to be discharged but a relapse happen. His medication went toxic, put on IV to flush the system. System flushed and now dealing with delirium.

Back from Vegas and more progression...

Judy DAngelo — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:47:38 +0100

Had a good 4 days in Vegas (no, didn't win!!!). I had the facility do the laundry while I was gone because my brother is undependable. This week there seems to be more things happening with mom. The right arm and hand are starting to contract and the massage therapist also told me she's holding her head turned to the left most of the time. I do know she can turn her head because if there's something happening on the other side, she does turn that way.

Hospi...

Caregiver once again....this time to my 68 year old Dad

Cindy ODonnell — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:21:52 +0100

August 10th, received a call that my Dad was not looking well and we should go check in on him. August 11th, Dad is admitted to hospital. Not sure what is wrong but they wasted no time in getting him checked out and monitored. Today, August 23rd Dad is still in the hospital and looking to be discharged this Saturday. Diagnosis: Possibly Vascular dementia. Without going into to much detail at this time, but which I will likely blog later on my website my Dad has s...

"About an aging family member's driving abilities, housing transitions, ..."

Barbara Dylla — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:54:24 +0100

I'm again relying on the printed word for this entry, but I feel it's a crucial subject that many don't know how to approach.

See the link:

http://www.canada.com/life/parenting/awkward+talk+Engage+parents+planning/5143659/story.html

Here's the whole article (I hope I'm not infringing on any copyright):

It's the age-old question: When and how do we have "the talk?"

No, not t...

Elder abuse in residences

Barbara Dylla — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:13:20 +0100

I will write a separate update soon, but in the meantime, I'm putting a link to a newspaper article that writes about a case of elder abuse that was first broadcast on a Montreal TV station (French language).

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/Fall+with+elder+abuse+alleged/5099679/story.html

This is an issue we all worry about. Just because it exists, though, doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. Like many other societal issues (rape, spousal abuse, bullying, etc.), if we...

A little update...

Judy DAngelo — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:16:34 +0100

Almost August, this year is flying by. The care planning conference was pretty short since there really wasn't anything new going on with mom. A couple of weeks after this, though, she fell out of bed and hit her head on the nightstand. Luckily, she didn't break a bone or her skull. Unfortunately, this happened when she was having her breakfast in bed (she really isn't a morning person so they were allowing her to stay in bed and serving her breakfast there. She ...

A new video...

Judy DAngelo — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:12:06 +0100

I think this video gives a pretty good idea of where mom is. We have a care planning meeting this week, I'll report on that Wednesday.

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md3ELhftJHE 450x280]

Is this the next stage?

Cindy ODonnell — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:37:55 +0100

Recently we were called in for a conference visit with the staff who care for Dad to discuss changes in his behaviour and eating. Since March Dad has lost 12 pounds, mostly due to lack of desire to eat and he has been ill. The reason for him being ill has not been determined and they are now going to send him for a CAT scan. He has become a bit of a fussy eater and the staff has tried various techniques to try to get him to eat. Since they are&...

What now!!!

Cindy ODonnell — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 03:17:08 +0100

Just got back from a much needed vacation, I am very fortunate to have a husband who qualified for convention in Hawaii. With everything that has happen in the last six months it was nice to get away and escape reality. It was a little difficult leaving Dad this time, he was very emotional and weepy. When he saw my husband (his son) he began to cry and said that he thought he would never see him again. This is the first time we ever had this experience with Dad. ...

Don't know what to wish for...

Barbara Dylla — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:33:13 +0100

Much and not much has happened in the last two months.

On the much side, my father was moved out of the locked unit on February 14 to make room for someone who needed the extra supervision. Apparently he was the best candidate of the twelve residents on the unit. I knew the day would come eventually, but not so soon. I had a day to digest the request, and another day to organize the move. A move is a move: you gotta pack up and undecorate and then unpack and redecorate. His new r...

Wish I could say things are the same...

Judy DAngelo — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:45:51 +0100

I am hating this disease lately (more than usual). Long story short, in January mom became even more unsteady on her feet, was having trouble getting "started" with walking, and fell a few times. Two weeks ago she began to use a wheelchair and was receiving physical therapy to see if we could regain some stability with walking or whether this was neurological. They also made sure she wasn't ill or having a UTI and was clear in that respect.

After a week of PT, it ...

Dad and walking

Cindy ODonnell — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:07:43 +0100

It has been a while since I last wrote. I took the month of January off from work to re-evaluate my career and to just get a break from the "real world". I travelled to Saskatchewan to visit my best frirend, (not sure what I was thinking going in January), but it was a nice break. As far as my career goes I am still in the same field, just better focused on what direction to take.

Enough about me, let's get to Dad. I am assuming that Dad is just headin...