New Year's with Alzheimer's....

Happy New Years....or is it?

I'm sitting in the room.... sort of in the corner beside the drooping Christmas tree. Several Christmas ornanents lay on the floor at the back to the tree along with some Christmas wrapping pieces that the hostess missed in all the hussle and bussle of getting ready for the New Year's party. 

Since I was early, I had a good spot to sit....out of the way of all the activity. Once in a while someone would come over and wish me a happy New Year. I wish the same back and wonder who that person could be. She looks familiar but I can't come up with a name. Tha is happening more and more....sometimes it causes me to use the wrong words in a sentence. The truth be known I even forget my spouse's name at times in a coversation. Sometimes it is hard to follow a conversation because the words run together and I can't seperate them out. I use to have a set of hearing aids which helped, but I lost one of them, so I don't wear any now. The cost is so high that I can't afford a new one. Living on SSI does't give much wiggle room especially with the cost of drugs. So thing now are a bit quieted now.  :)

I know gentle reader, I am getting off track, so back to the party. there I sit. I have a wrist corsage on my left arm and it feels scratchy. I moved it because it got in the way and flipped around when I shook someones hand....sort of a pain, so I moved it to the left wrist so it wouldn't get damaged.

Oh, here comes the lady from down the street, Mrs. what's her name. She lives in the big brick house with the white picket fences. Funny I can't remember her name. We shake hands and seeing the blank look on her face, she tells me her name. Now i remember. He husband died from Alzeimer's last summer. so she understands what is happening to me.

The noise level in the house is getting to me. The man standing a few paces away shouts out  to some one across the room  and I  jumped in my seat, startled by the sudden outburst. But that's what happens when you have this horrible desease. Many things can upset me like unexpected noise, flashing lights, darkness when a room goes dark. I thankful for the night-lights that come on at home so I can see and not panic by the sudden change.

For those of us that have Alzheimer's or/and other dementia, dear reader the world is a frighting place. Any sudden change can create havoc for one with Alzheimer's.

For Alzhiemer's patients like me New Years can be a terrible night. All the talking, partying loud noise and, oh yes the fireworks...bombs bursting in air.

My gentle reader, New Year's can be a lot of fun, but for Alzheimer's patients, it can be a living hell, a battle ground of complete chaos. If i may gentle reader, let me give you a few suggestions on handleing that night which comes once a year.

May I be bold enough to share with you, some of the things that cause panic, fear, and temporary parallelizing of the person. Holiday times is the season for visiting and reconnecting with family and neighbors. Sometimes this season can be sad or stressful for those caring for a love one too.

• Holidays can be meaningful for both the one with Alzheimer's and their caregiver and family. For Alzheimer's patients this link with the familiar past is reassuring and builds self-esteem. They see the family as something they helped to create.
• one who is a caregiver needs to set limits early, and be clear about them with others. Remember gentle reader, you don't have to live up to the expections of friends or family relatives. Things are diffrent now.
• Try to place your Alziemer love one i a quite are where he or she can be visited even if it is painful for the visiting person. Alzhimer's tends to bring a stigma and friends tend to stop visiting the love one with Alzheimer's.
• Keeping the number of persons a s low as possible during visits. and it is good to have the visit in a seperate room where th patient feels safe and secure in familiar surroundings. Most Alsheimer's patients can put it together for brief periods and should have some time to rest in between visitors.
• I try to keep my holidays plain and simple even though I am in the early stages of the dementia. Sudden change upsets me and I find myself confused, fearful and loss. I try to take part in the preparations as it refreshes my memory of the past good times. It is fun time and brings old memories, anticipation and helps me reminiscence.
• Try to schedule activities, especially early in the day to avoid fatigue as the added activities can wear a person out. For me gentle reader, I also have COPD. So cold oudoor activities makes breathing hard for me. I do enjoy listen to music, TV, reading and cross stiching. At my daycare (respite) I enjoy doing stain glass creations and the familiar people I am with.
• Avoid Light to Dark places this can throw me into fear and frozen panic.

I hope this has been helpful as there are over 5.4 million of us in this country with Alzheimer's and it's various forms of dementia. If you know someone with this horriable disease perhaps you can help the patient's caregiver by helping out like spending a few hours with the patient so the caregiver can do some personal things. That's why I go to daycare so Lisa, my wife can get some space and private time just for her. 

Another way to help out is to bring over a covered dish once in a while. A night off from cooking is a big help to  caregiver.

All these things help and for further information you can on your computer, gentle reader look up www.alz.org for more ideas and information. If you don't have a computer there are some in the library you can use. or call 1-800-272-3900 there are experts to answer your questions and giving you ideas. Best of all they are available 7/24 all year long.

Well I got to go. It's been nice visiting with you. Have a wonderful day and "Happy New Years! See you on the flip side of the calendar, God willing. With much love to you gentle reader. Pastor Kaye & Lisa