Hello I am new to this site. I am looking for advice on how to deal with caring for an 81 year old lady with alzheimers. This is a new experience for me and i am not quite sure where to go or what to do. Her dgtr tells me she used to be a very vibrant, outgoing and busy woman, she is now much the opposite. She is a really sweet lady, shy and quiet most of the time but she has her days where she is very anti-social, wants nothing to do with anyone.and very irritable, I am not sure how to go about caring for her, I would like to help take some of the burden from her dgtr such as bathing, pedicures, etc but not sure whether I should be firm with her or not. Help!
need some advice on how to act
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LauraL responded 5 months ago :
Hi Star! I'm so glad you've found us.
As to caring for your lady, it may be best to take your cues from her daughter. Have a good long sit down with her, with pen and paper, and talk about how best her mother responds to caregivers. What she likes, doesn't like, what she responds to best when she's in an irritable mood. Is there a topic you could start up with the lady that would brighten her day every time and set her into a better mood? Those sorts of things.
Hopefully some more advice will come your way shortly! Best wishes to you!
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star responded 5 months ago :
Thanks for responding LauraL,
I am hoping to find ways to make my lady friend a bit happier, especially, on those dark days she has. I have talked to the dgtr and she says she finds it best just to leave her be alone instead of agitating her by trying to get her to socialize. I also hope in time, it has only been a few weeks, perhaps she will become more comfortable around me and we can ease into more areas. One day at a time, I guess that is best.
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Jamie responded 5 months ago :
Hey Star,
You might want to also try to plan some outings, for example going to a museum, park, library anything that would relate to something she used to like. For example my grandmother loves to swim so everytime I get the chance I take her to the pool. Things like this will probably help her trust you and will give you a common subject to talk about.
Hope this helps!
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star responded 4 months ago :
Hello Jamie,
Thanks for the input. The problem being it is difficult to get her to leave the house. Her dgtr says once she gets going, she is ok and actually enjoys herself. It is just the challenge of getting her to the first step. I did manage to get her to come and see my chickens and peeps at my house a couple of weeks ago, she loved it. I hope to try that again if the weather ever improves. Weather, I think, has a great deal to do with her moods. When it is rainy and dreary, she refuses to come out of her room, in fact last Friday, she even refused to take her medication for me, that is a first. No convincing otherwise did me any good. I felt defeated to say the least.
