Hi
I dont have anybody with alzheimers in my family, but I am an activities person at a retirement village, I work mostly with the assisted living and the alzheimers residents..... I love my job, and have the utmost respect for those of you who are having to personally deal with this disease.
vicky

I am interested in your post. Could you give us some idea's in helping our LO's ? It's hard to find anything that will get MIL's attention these days, but I still try. Now and again I see that sparkle, maybe my imagination, but maybe not?

Yesterday she kept saying something to me, I couldn't hear her see was talking so low and her words were so garbled. She leaned her head close to mine and she said the same thing again. She said she loved me.

I can't begin to say how that touched my heart. It was hard to keep the tears in check. You can seldom understand words she mumbles much lest put a sentence together.

I have been there when they had activities and it is a hard to keep some of them focused. I do admire anybody that will take on jobs like these. Perhaps you will share some things with us, help us understand how to interact with our LO's.

Welcome to you as well as all that have posted here. with much care, Jo

I understand your frustration. It is VERY difficult to find activities. I do ALOT of musical stuff with them. They love to sing and listen to songs that were popular when they were teens and young adults. We have one lady that is pretty nonresponsive to anything. She just has this blank stare and shuffles around.
She likes for us to do her nails, and give her hand massages. She also likes it when i bring my pet bunny up LOL. He'll sit in her lap and she'll hold him. She doens't pet him, but when you try to give him to another resident she gets upset that you took him from her. I found a book at the library called. "Alzheimers Activities that Stimulate the Mind". by Emilia C. Bazan-Salazar. There are alot of neat activities in this. I'm going to try and get my boss to buy this book if its available.
I'm going to a workshop on Nov the first called "Unlocking the Mysteries: Whats worth knowing in Alzheimers Disease" The speaker is Joanne Koenig Coste. She is the author of a book "Learning to Speak Alzheimers." I'm hoping to learn alot at this workshop.
I've only been doing this for a 16 months. Before this i was a special education teacher. One thing i've learned, is you take it one day at a time. and you rejoice in the little things. Maybe you saw them smile, or they reached out and touched your hand, or maybe its nothing more than that "light" that you know for just a moment they understood what you were saying or doing.
I have the utmost respect for those of you who are dealing with this. Its so hard. I can honestly say that working with the alzheimers residents has been a life changing experience.
Take care and i hope you guys have a great day!!!!
vicky

Let me know how the seminars go. I appreciate the info you have offered. I'll look for the book.
You know Vicky, sometimes the patients are so funny and you are so sure they are getting better, but next visit total change. I've been jotting down notes for years off and on, hoping one day to put some together. I have to depend on my memory and dang, it is getting as bad as the patients I see everytime I go see MIL.

They have moved Mary to another wing of the Alzheimer's- Dementia side of the NH. The side they moved her to is the side where all the patients are bed-ridden, never expected to be up and about ever again.

Mary can still walk, sometimes she needs someone with her though. I hate so much we had to place her!! Ken keeps reminding me of the reasons we did have to, but I just wish it were different.

I like the "bunny"and the patient's joy at just seeing a pet. Mary used to love animals. When we moved her here. I moved the dogs too. they were used to living in the house, but I had to draw the line there. I'm allergic to most annimals, especially cats! Not long after we moved her she lost all interest in the little dogs. Even to this day she does not want them to get near her. I found this very strange, but I've been told many times they change their habits with a lot of things things.It is all so so sad. thank you for your responce Vicky. Jo