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| Miss Hawai'i USA 2017 Julie Kuo. (screen shot from TV) |
Much of what I did today was train Mom regarding what she needs to do to keep her safe and out of trouble! Like using her cane even in the house since she is experiencing more weakness in her left leg. I am also training her to apply moisturizing lotion instead of scratching when she itches. Another big thing is putting a disposable glove on her right hand (to keep the bandage on her thumb clean) when she goes to the bathroom. When she asks me what she can do to help, I tell her she can organize the paperwork around her chair, because I can wash the dishes (or whatever else she wants to do that she really shouldn't be doing) but I can't sort through her papers. Due to the dementia, I tend to say this every day.
I also hang around when she is taking a shower. I give her tips like sit on the foldout bench in the shower while she is washing herself, use the grab bar not the towel rack to steady herself, sit on the toilet seat while she is putting lotion on her body and getting dressed, and do one thing at a time. As Mom's dementia gets worse, reminders tend to become more frequent, like less than 5 minutes. I have learned to repeat things using the same tone of voice no matter how many times I say it.
While I spot Mom in the shower, Shiro keeps watch out in the hallway.
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| Shiro, waiting for us in the hall outside the bathroom door. |
The cats have their own routines. First thing in the morning Chibi follows me in to the family room. When I open the vertical blinds, she waits by the sliding glass door; she likes to go out first thing in the morning. And she's usually the last one in (some times she gets locked out at night). However, if there is any activity next door she bolts in through the door in a flash!
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| Chibi waiting for the sliding glass door to open; the green X's are a signal to the cats that the cat door is blocked. |
Happy Birthday to Dwayne-O & Naseem!
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