She is in denial that she has Alzheimer’s but is very slowly slipping away from reality. I see her 3 days a week, and we are in such good shape from all this walking, but this must be the only thing she feels she has control of.
any ideas of how to redirect her during the winter months and all of the rain?
I have mentioned Sr. Centers and she thinks those are for people with wheelchairs. Looking for fall and winter activities that will not bore her. She has had ADD all her life and literally cannot sit so still. She is a precious person and I am very lucky to have her as a client. Just need some brainstorming. Her husband and two daughters are very supportive of me and I have fit right into her schedule because all of her friends had the best of intentions, but with Alzheimer’s Disease the further along it gets it is common for former friends to stop communicating with people!
Any ideas?
Get her to check out the senior center with you. She'll quickly see it's not all wheelchairs.
How about cleaning her apartment? Can walk malls or even Target or the grocery store.
Join a gym? Planet Fitness, where I was a member for years, has cheap memberships and she could get the one where she can bring a guest (you!).
Good luck.
It would be reversed if we had nice summers and brutal winters.
Studies have shown learning (or trying to learn) something new can help stave off the effects of dementia. Perhaps finding an interest for her and working on that part of the time can help her be less anxious. You know, like learning a new language, anything to help her focus.
I would recommend Teepa Snow's approach for care. Plenty of info via Google search & many really interesting videos & talks.
Thr 'emerald' stage in particular describes people who are on the go. Can be on the go go go physically or in a repetitive verbal loop unable to stop. There is a really good video showing how to distract & realign the person to another activity or take a much needed rest. The lack of insight prevents them from recognising when they need to stop or slow down themself, or even other essential self-care requirements eg eat & drink.
ADD (or ADHD) may add another layer of behaviour that is tricky to manage, but not impossible.
Maybe once the lady seems physically tired of walking/riding/using her big muscles - an activity could be introduced to use smaller muscles eg fidget spinners, colouring in, easy jigsaw puzzles.
Is there a Physio or OT on her care team? I think an OT could really help with activities. The Doctor may be able to prescribe medication to lesson the agitation (if appropriate) too.
While some may say, well let her walk all day if she wants.. and I get that.. as a support worker you have some duty of care to protect her from known risks eg over exercion in hot weather & dehydration.
I see senior walking clubs at the mall near me all the time. A lot of them go with their home/health aides because they need supervision. From what I've seen these people have a good time. They walk the whole place then stop off at the food court for refreshments and to sit for a while.
Call the senior center in your area and talk to them. They might have a mall-walkers club that you can bring your client to.
You can take her to an indoor mall to walk in the winter months or when the weather doesn't cooperate to be outdoors. She could also go to an Adult Day Care center up to 5 days a week, as they keep the folks there pretty active and as busy as they want to be.
The YMCA could also be a good choice as they offer "Silver Sneaker" classes along with other classes appropriate for the elderly.
Keeping her active will certainly benefit her(and you)in the long run, so just keep her moving best you can.
IMO, you are not going to be able to teach her anything new. Her short-term memory does not allow it.
"colouring in, easy jigsaw puzzles." I have a couple of the wood puzzles that Fisher Price made from 45 yrs ago. A friend was suggested this kind of Puzzle for her husband suffering from ALZ. I loaned her mine. Coloring should probably be the same way. Maybe a coloring book for grade school ages. Personnally, I so hope if I have Dementia, that they don't have me color. Haven't liked to do it since 2nd or 3rd grade when it was "color all the even #s blue and all the odd #s red".😁
I like idea of walking a Mall. Can window shop, eat lunch, have a snack. Maybe an aerobics class.
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