Monday, August 21, 2017

Dementia Tries to Throw Us Off Balance



One of the physical changes I have noticed over the last several weeks/months is the gradual worsening of Jim's balance . From what the doctor has told me and from what I have read, this is not uncommon in the later stages of dementia. I worry about him falling. Falls often lead to a cascade of other problems and a possible hospitalization. When I study his gait, I realize that a walker would not help, in fact it would probably increase the likelihood of a fall and injury. When he walks, he does not pick up his feet enough, causing a shuffling kind of walk that results in his sneaker catching on the floor. In addition, he walks more stiff-legged, which also causes problems with his balance. His favorite sneakers with the rubber soles don't help, and I believe make it worse. But he is not amenable to wearing different footwear.

His favorite outdoor activity, sweeping the driveway, is no longer safe for him to do because of his unsteadiness. This is such a sad moment for me; sweeping the driveway was one of the few things that he was able to do, adding to his sense of accomplishment. Jim has no awareness of his balance problem. This means that I need to pay close attention to the driveway; I try to get out there to clear the driveway before he has a chance to see the errant grass clippings, twigs etc.

As you can see by the above photo, I had grab bars installed. The closest one will give him support as he maneuvers over the small step into the shower. The other bar is placed so that when he is sitting on the shower seat, he can use the bar to safely lower himself as well as pull himself up. There is a hand held shower head that will be useful too. He does not see the need to use the corner shower seat at this time, but at some point I'm guessing he'll agree.

Sometime in the future I'll add a grab bar in the commode room if it looks like it is needed. A good friend of ours installed the grab bars for us. He is a carpenter by trade, and semi-retired. He also fixed a french door in our lower level that needed adjustment in order to use the deadbolt. I am so grateful for our friends!

Jim's breaks with reality are more frequent. Although this is to be expected as the disease progresses, it can make for some very rough days. One of the more common delusions in folks with Alzheimer's Disease with Psychosis is one of misidentification. Jim experiences this quite frequently, sometimes not realizing who I am, and even more often, not recognizing our home. This is the one that seems to be the most troubling for him. It occurs when we are driving home from someplace. As we pull into the driveway, he insists this is not our home. He becomes upset thinking that we are going to walk into a stranger's house. The only thing that breaks this train of thought is to leave, drive around a bit, try some distracting conversation, and then head home.

The card below is the "Companion Card" I had printed. I know I have talked about this before, but for newer readers I thought it was worth mentioning again. I always carry a few with me. The response I get from folks is always so positive. I like to think that perhaps the cards help others to be more understanding whenever they run into someone whose behavior seems odd or strange. A little kindness and understanding go a long way.





I want to end this post with a very sweet moment that I will cherish forever. A couple of days ago, after a particularly psychotic day, Jim came up to me, hugged me and said "Thank you for everything you do for me." With these very precious words, all the stress just melted way. I hugged him hard and said "And thank you for everything that you do for me too."

Thanks for stopping by; I so appreciate each one of you.



24 comments:

Sharon said...

Thank the heavens for his totally lucid moments!
I would kill for your shower. Nice to have the grab bars.

Valerie said...

I felt very emotional reading the card you carry and the sweet moment. Seriously, though - do get that handrail installed even if it's for a 'just-in-case' moment.

Carole said...

Hi Sharon. Thanks for your comment. I am so grateful that the "real Jim" still shows through the dementia at times. So much has changed in our lives over the last couple of years, but when those moments occur, I am so grateful. The shower is not officially ADA approved, but it should work for us, for now. There is room for a shower chair too, should that become a better option for Jim.

Carole said...

Hi Valerie. I appreciate your comments. It's funny, but sometimes the emotions just overwhelm me. I have to be careful not to think too much about all that we have lost from Jim's disease. I occasionally have a good cry, but then get on with it, and remind myself that I need to be strong for Jim's sake.

Jabberwalky08 said...

Phew, this describes the tangle of decisions that have to be made in caregiving for persons with dementia - balance problems, think "walker", then realize managing a walker sets up it's own difficulties; put seat in shower, but will the person use it?; listen to the litany of remarks about the state of the yard, the driveway, the garden, but the person cannot mobilize or safely deal with any of that maintenance, etc etc.
It's a constant challenge to respond to unsafe or just irksome behaviors, while maintaining the dignity of your person and your own peace of mind!
Thanks for this entry, Carole.

DJan said...

Your moment with Jim is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I cried when I read it, knowing that his lucidity is fleeting but he is still in there somewhere. I am sending you my best wishes for you and Jim. And thank you for writing all this down. I'm sure there are others who feel the same as I do: it's important work you're doing.

Carole said...

Oh, the strategies that I come up with! Lately I've been keeping the shades that look out onto our driveway closed until I get a chance to run outside and take care of the driveway. Thank goodness for my battery operated blower. It takes care of this chore very quickly.

The fall risk is very real, but I've come to the realization and acceptance that there is only so much I can do. Thanks for your insightful comment Jabberwalky. You know so well the complexities that come with caregiving. We just have to know that we are doing the very best that we can, and then rest at peace with that knowledge.

Carole said...

Hi DJan. Thanks for your very sweet comment. I know I've said it before, but it really is so very therapeutic for me to write, and to be able to share this journey with my very caring blogosphere friends.

Every day I get glimpses of the "real" Jim, and it means so much to me. I know that at some point that will no longer be, but for now it sustains me. By the way, our 31st wedding anniversary is tomorrow! Bittersweet for sure. I won't mention it to him, because I don't want him to feel bad that he forgot. But for me it will be a day to celebrate a wonderful life that we have had together.

Sue said...

What a sweet, precious moment....heartbreaking too. Happy anniversary to both of you. I hope you have a very nice and special day!! (My father-in-law also shuffles his feet, barely lifting them off the ground. He has been able to transition to a walker though and after balking at it a bit, I think he likes it now and it is working for him. He usually wears sturdy slippers with a smooth bottom indoors and athletic shoes outside. It might be worth a try. It does seem to help him balance.)

Carole said...

Hi Sue. I'm so glad that your FIL adjusted to the walker. Jim has some nice form fitting leather moccasins that I think would actually work better for him, but he has not agreed to this change. It's tough, when you think that you know what is best for your loved one, but they resist. Always a balancing act of encouraging, yet not pushing so hard as to cause an upset.

Thanks Sue so much for your kind words and anniversary wishes.

Arkansas Patti said...

I am ever so grateful that you have those sweet moments every now and then in a visit from the old Jim. That he is still there and on occasion can let you know must make all the struggles worth it. It must help a bit to know his lucid mind understands what you do and he lets you know how much you mean every chance this disease lets him. Hope he has such a wonderful surprise for you on your anniversary.

Carole said...

Hi Patti. When Jim's brother was visiting he quickly picked up on the concept of the "real" Jim. I'm grateful that he did; otherwise it is especially heartbreaking to live through the difficult moments.

We just got back from a 10 minute car ride. He was again convinced that we were in the wrong house. To make matters worse, we had a tornado warning in effect (very unusual for this area). But I couldn't possibly explain this without upsetting him further. So, taking fate by the hand we got in the car, went for a very short ride, and somehow I managed to distract him enough with talk of dinner with wine. We came home and it was like it never happened. And no tornado!

Thanks for your comment Patti. I'm guessing I'll have one of those sweet moments again tomorrow :-)

joared said...

Am sure that spontaneous expression of love will be long treasured. The Companion Card seems wise -- brief, concise and to the point in a kind and gentle way. I've long thought such cards would be helpful for use with others who have different challenges to increase public tolerance.

Tehachap said...

I want to get grab bars installed too. I need to find a handyman to do it. Take care -- so nice to see sweet moments like you described with Jim thanking you for all you do. Blessings to you both,

Carole said...

Hi Jo Ann. Folks just melt when I give them the card. The other day at Costco Jim was confused and thought someone was trying to get ahead of us in line (he wasn't). Thankfully the card says it all. The guy just looked at me and smiled with a knowing look.

Carole said...

Hi Carol. The grab bars aren't exactly a fashion statement, but safety rules, especially given the circumstances. They have the kind with suction cups, but the shower walls have to be smooth. Plus, no guarantee they will hold if someone puts a lot of weight on them. Even I feel safer with them! Thanks for your comment and kind words.

troutbirder said...

I copied your little companion card hoping it wasn't copywritted :) Still here in our small town where everyone knows everything there are few secrets and Barb has been very open about it all. Physically she is in excellent shape and put me to shame at our exercise class three times a week. Her short term memory is almost non existent now which is a patience test for both of us. And yes sweeping the driveway and the deck are her favorite tasks though I am training her to help me with weeding the gardens...:)

Carole said...

Hi Troutbirder. Here is link where for the companion cards. https://www.zazzle.com/dementia_male_companion_card-240857722451455254 the companion cards.

They have a variety, for different situations and for both men and women. I'm glad you found it helpful!

The short term memory issue is a hard one. It took me a while to accept it and find a supportive way of responding to this loss. There was a difficult period where I found myself correcting/chiding, or saying "Don't you remember?". I finally accepted that no, he didn't remember, and it might be more helpful if my responses reflected a supportive tone.

But it's hard! I think especially early on, because the person has all their other skills, look normal, so it's such a shock when the memory loss is so profound.

I glad you live in a small supportive community, and that your wife acknowledges her memory issues. Such a complicated, frustrating journey for all of us. Hang in there, and thanks so much for stopping by :-)

Barb said...

I don't have anyone, but I love the card idea. Im noticing that my father in law has balance issues-he is one of those folks who's body is still really wel overall except for the balance but seems to sleep much of the time!

Carole said...

Hi Barbara. Thanks for your comment. I love your blog by the way! Your FIL must be in his 80's? I find that my mom, who is 88, struggles with fatigue too. She fights it, as she is used to being active. But I suppose that aging does take its toll on energy level. Another one of life's little surprises!

Anonymous said...

My mother had dementia and was declared mentally incompetent during her 80s. Grab bars were installed in the porch, tub, and rails were installed on both sides of the toilet. She fell frequently and broke her back, arm, and ribs. She refused to use a walker and was forced to sit in a wheelchair. When she couldn't lift her leg over the tub, we placed her in a nursing home, where she died 5 months later at age 99.

Carole said...

Hi Gigi. It's such a tough disease, with no easy answers. All we can do is our best, and rest well knowing that we did all we could. Thanks for your comment.

Dr Sock said...

Falling is such a big worry as one's balance becomes less reliable. Good thinking to install grab bars in the shower!

I wonder if Jim would be more amenable to putting the moccasins on if you could think up a reason for both of you to have to wear slippers in the house rather than shoes? Maybe he would "do it for you" if it you presented it as a way to help. Now what the reason for slippers would be, I don't know...

Jude

Carole said...

Hi Jude. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it! Maybe I'll buy a new pair for both of us, and see how that works. Gotta be creative :-)