The original post was:
What Makes You, as an Alzheimer's Caregiver, Laugh?
Some days can drag on, but there's nothing like laughter to make the day easier for an Alzheimer's caregiver. Elizabeth Shean, our Dad Has Dementia blogger, has written about the power of laughter and her father getting tangled up in his oxygen tube and loudly declaring, "Don't just do something! Stand there!" which was one of his old stand-by's.
I think some of the funnier moments are just those small funny things that come tumbling out of an older adult's mouth. Has your parent or loved one said something funny lately or have the two of you found yourselves in funny situations? If so share it with us!
Mom flirts shamelessly with young boys now. And it's really funny that she can make her doctor blush. I think he's scared to examine her too closely because she's always saying how cute he is and that she'd like to take him home with her. I wish I'd had her nerve back in my dating days!
But that can be weird too...my boys don't want to go visit gramma anymore, since last year at Thanksgiving, I brought my then 18 year old son with me because he loves turkey. My Mom kept giving him significant looks, then leaned over and said to me in a loud whisper, "He's cute!" "Yes," I told her, he's my third son, Mom. Your grandson." She kept ogling him and asked, "Does he have any brothers?" I made a point of keeping myself in-between them, and didn't make him kiss her goodbye that time. He was afraid of what she might try! Needless to say, I have talked with my boys and encouraged them to look at the funny side. But they are still kind of squigged out about the whole thing. She also snuggled up to my gay cousin and told him how cute he is, and held his hand. He's had jobs working with the elderly, so he just put his arm around her and hugged her closely. She and his mom were very close, but his mom died 20 years ago...she doesn't remember any of that, but we do.
These stories reminded me of my grandfather who died back in 1969 of "hardening of the arteries" - what they called it back then.
He would sit in his chair oblivious to anyone else in the house. One day he starts wooooooooooing, and ahhhhing, smacking his lips, bobbing his head...and my grandmother says to him, "Carl....what's wrong?"
"Nothing, " my grandfather responds, "but there's a hot blonde on the couch and I really want to jump her!"
My grandmother looks at the empty couch and says, "Have a good time, Carl."
OMG lol! That's too funny
My Grandma watches wrestling with my kids...not always a good idea because she becomes SO aggitated. OK...let me start at the beginning.
I was once married to a Pro Wrestler. Thank God I'm divorced but anyway...My Grandma KNOWS the inside of the wrestling business because of me. All the secrets, although it's no longer a secret that it's all staged. She used to laugh about it like a comedy tv show. It was fun. She knew it was entertainment, it was all "put on" as she used to call it.
Now...it's real to her, which is the scary part. But she remembers most of the current wrestlers names and recognises the faces. She yells at the bad guys and cheers on the good guys but never singled anyone out in particular as her favorite. The funny part is... One day we were in the grocery store and she recognised a wrestler on the cover of a body building magazine. Now, my grandma has always been a very modest, quiet woman. She saw that magazine and blurted out..."WOW! That's John Morrison! LOOK AT HIM!!" She asked how much the magazine was as her eyes were fixed on the picture as if she were in a trance. I told her how much it was and told her I didn't think the girls would like it. He isn't one of their favorites. She said..."Not for them. For ME!" I asked her what she would do with a body building magazine and she replied "I'm gonna put his picture on my wall!!!" as she winked and rubbed her hands together. I couldn't help but laugh...BIG LAUGH...in the middle of the grocery store. It was another one of those "had to be there" moments.
Sad thing is..when he was on tv last night, she didn't remember him, his name or seeing the magazine in the store. But for that moment, she was very much diggin Mr. Morrison...lol
Hardening of the arteries!! What they used to call AD? Never heard that but you just gave me a big start for a moment. I have hardening of the arteries, but it is coronary heart disease. I do have some "hardening" or build up of plaque in the carotid arteries.....which can lead to vascular dementia, but my hardening is in the internal not the external. The internal does not lead to dementia, Thank God.... However, I am sad to say that I have also recently read that spouses of those with AD have a much greater chance of getting AD themselves. A bit scary.. Charlotte
Everything do to age used to be referred to as 'hardening of the arteries'...How far we've come and how far we have to go, I guess.
Yikes, I've heard of a familial link...but spouses? Ouch, maybe it's from lack of stimualtion when they're caregivers...I hate to think of having to wear a hazmat suit around the house! Too darned hot!
I had such a good time with your block the tears are still running from the fun of it Thank you all
Ok I had to send this one in!!! A little background first, my dad had severe diarreah for 6 weeks, then a few weeks of seepage,( never actually had a BM but it just oozed out constantly) which means for 2 months every time I changed him there was feces to clean up. WEll tonight for the first time in a week he was able to feed himself some. Chocolate pudding was one of the things I gave him. (you see where this is going?) I walked in his room to see how he was getting along feeding himself and all I see is brown around a hole! My first thought was oh no here we go again, get out the wipes, Booty Goo, diaper Etc.., Then a split second later it dawned on me, thats pudding around his mouth!~!! LOL When I quit laughing at myself I told him I thought he was standing on his head there for a minute, then explained it to him, he got a chuckle out of it too!
OH WOW! left me speechless!! I hope I can keep as good a sense of humor as you can. Maybe when my hubby gets past this aggressive stage....Please God, let it just be a stage or phase or stepping stone...Charlotte
Mom's at the aggressive stage too. Been a tough couple of weeks and I'm getting worn down. Thank goodness for this site and sharing with you folks.
She cracked me up again yesterday. I finally got her to ride in the car to go through a drive-through window and get lunch. Just wanted to get her out of the house. Asked her what she wanted to eat. We went back and forth with suggestions and ideas and it took a while, but she finally said she wanted a hamburger and strawberry milkshake from McDonalds. Great. A decision!! Wow, this was wonderful.
We drove for about 7 more seconds and she said, "Where are we going?" I answered, "We're going to get lunch." She asked, "What are we getting?" I said, "We're going to get a hamburger and shake from McDonald's." She replied, "Yuck."
I can't win, can I?
I wondered where you guys were! I needed humor. Isn't that the way it is, though? You go through all those hoops and think something is accomplished and you get a "Yuck". It is funny! Last night I made what I thought was a good dinner. Small sirloins, fresh corn on the cob, and a salad. I was enjoying mine when I noticed the dog chewing somethig on the carpet. I asked "What is the dog eating?" My husband said he was givig her a bite of his meat, but she took the whole thing. He didn't seem to mind at all, so neither did I. No more steaks for him.
LMAO, Rubberchicken, Babs! I go through the same thing...we decide what she wants to eat...2 minutes later, "I want some mashed potatoes", "I'm fixing chicken and beans, you know, what we agreed on.", "yuck"...5 minutes later, "Is it time to eat?"...then I pull my last hunk of hair out and relax until the tic in my eye goes away. LOL!
Oh my -- you've got a tic too?? I have so many of them now, I look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Currently I have an eye tic, a nose twitch, and shoulders that look like they're attached as earrings.
By the way, you folks cook a lot better than I do. Can I come to your house for dinner?? I was just noticing the difference between my McDonalds and your sirloin and chicken meals... Just a little embarrassed...
You've probably learned faster. I still think things might be normal. We did get a Happy Meal last week because I wanted the little dolls. He thought they were great! So much for MY cooking. When will I learn??? My chiropractor did tell me he didn't think anything was wrong with my back-it is just a little tension. JUST A LITTLE TENSION????
RC...I have so many tics I had to ask my doctor about Lime's Disease!
I think I learned in the reverse...my mother would have be running to every fast food place in the city! She drools over the coupons, cuts them out...and I throw them away. She doesn't remember them anyway. When I have gotten her the fast food she was drooling over, after a few hours she doesn't recall eating it. Today she's had 2 pieces of bread and peanut butter (with about a half a pound of butter) 2 lunchables, 2 hard boiled eggs, two pieces of chicken, 2 pieces of cheese, some shoestring potatoes, some grapes...and who knows what else I didn't see - and it's only 2pm. She's turned into a regular eating machine, but I seem to be gaining the weight! How does that work? If I stop her and ask if she's really hungry...I get "I don't know...but I want it! sigh And If I ask her what she's had to eat today...she'd say, "Nothing" So you see, I would be doing nothing but driving all day! LOL!
And Babs, does the fact that your spine now looks like a corkscrew on X-ray help give that "little" tension away?
You know it so funny about the food thing. My Dad brings my Mom with AZ over frequently for visits. We only live 3 blocks away so I help with other things too as much as I can.
Last week, they came in with a box of donuts. She sat down at the table and said I don't want any donuts today... I'm not hungry. Within ten seconds,literally, she said so excitedly, boy these donuts look good! Then proceeded to eat 3 of them... They went home 15 minutes later because as usual she can't tolerate long visits due to being so inpatient. She called me immediately and said how good the donuts were. So good that she ate 2! lol!
One more thing that made me laugh so much, and I don't even know why, it was just one of those things that you understand deep down and then get hysterical. My dad took her to her doctor. She refuses so many times to let my Dad in because she believes that him and female doctor are having an affair. But that's for another story. She came home after the visit and called me. She said, the doctor asked me who the President of the United States is... "Imagine that! How the hell would I know who the President is!" It struck me so funny I couldn't help it but I laughed so hard.
Oh that's a classic!
Thought for the day: If 'that which does not kill us makes us stronger', we must all be like Hercules by now!!!
Blessed In Aging ~Esther Mary Walker Blessed are they who understand My faltering step and shaking hand Blessed, who know my ears today Must strain to hear the things they say. Blessed are those who seem to know My eyes are dim and my mind is slow Blessed are those who look away When I spilled tea that weary day. Blessed are they who, with cheery smile Stopped to chat for a little while Blessed are they who know the way To bring back memories of yesterday. Blessed are those who never say “You’ve told that story twice today” Blessed are they who make it known That I am loved, respected and not alone. And blessed are they who will ease the days Of my journey home, in loving ways.
This poem, as read by Mary Maxwell in the video “A Reminder That Laughter is the Best Medicine.” View the video online at CaregiverStress.com
This site is filled with a lot of other goodies too.But the video mentioned above is really darn good. It is in the form of a prayer but you will laugh over and over again..
Blessed In Aging ~Esther Mary Walker Blessed are they who understand My faltering step and shaking hand Blessed, who know my ears today Must strain to hear the things they say. Blessed are those who seem to know My eyes are dim and my mind is slow Blessed are those who look away When I spilled tea that weary day. Blessed are they who, with cheery smile Stopped to chat for a little while Blessed are they who know the way To bring back memories of yesterday. Blessed are those who never say “You’ve told that story twice today” Blessed are they who make it known That I am loved, respected and not alone. And blessed are they who will ease the days Of my journey home, in loving ways.
This poem, as read by Mary Maxwell in the video “A Reminder That Laughter is the Best Medicine.”
View the video online at CaregiverStress.com
The video to which they are here referring, is really funny. It is in the form of a prayer which is introducing a new assisted living center. Have a few good laughs.
A few nights ago, my husband was in the bathroom getting ready for bed, brushing his teeth, etc. and I heard him shaving. When he got in bed, I asked why he shaved when he usually doesn't at night. He said."Are you kidding, there's a girl in my bed, I'm not going to have whiskers!." I had to laugh, he kissed me and went to sleep.
My hubby can be so hurtful one minute and the next hour or so, he can be sweet for a couple of minutes too. Hard for me to switch gears so suddenly sometimes. I am 75,, he is 79 and we are both sort of set in our ways.
But yesterday, while on a walk in our neighbors HUGE yard, he saw a pretty dahlia bloom and brought it home for me...Made me feel so good.. The bloom lasted a whole week too....I think it knew how much I needed it..
So sweet! It is these moments that get us through. I think that is the plan. If we can hang in through the nasties, we get our reward. I don't think we will ever get used to the out of character actions. You know he is in there when he brings you a flower. Today is going to be a smile day.
When he goes shopping with me, whenever he sees the flower section, he tells me he wants to buy me flowers for my birthday.
When he was in the hospital one time, they had to take a blood sample from leg. That had to hurt, and the nurse said Thank you and he said, I really enjoyed that. The nurse and I both laughed. She said no one had ever said that before.
Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: 'Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?'
Slim says, 'I feel just like a newborn baby.'
'Really!? Like a newborn baby!?'
'Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.'
Garage Door
The boss walked into the office one morning not knowing his zipper was down and his fly area wide open. His assistant walked up to him and said, 'This morning when you left your house, did you close your garage door?' The boss told her he knew he'd closed the garage door, and walked into his office puzzled by the question..
As he finished his paperwork, he suddenly noticed his fly was open, and zipped it up... He then understood his assistant's question about his 'garage door..'
He headed out for a cup of coffee and paused by her desk to ask, 'When my garage door was open, did you see my Hummer parked in there?'
She smiled and said, 'No, I didn't. All I saw was an old mini van with two flat tires..
The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.'
The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet.
I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'
An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.
The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, 'Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great.. I would recommend it very highly.'
The other man said, 'What is the name of the restaurant?'
The first man thought and thought and finally said, 'What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love?
You know.... The one that's red and has thorns.'
'Do you mean a rose?'
'Yes, that's the one,' replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, 'Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?'
An elderly gentleman was reading his recovery room record at the hospital where I work. He looked quite concerned at one notation.
"I know I was in a bit of a muddle, but I didn't realize I was that bad," he said to me apologetically. "I hope I didn't offend anyone."
He was greatly relieved when I explained the acronym in question meant "Short Of Breath" and not what he thought!
Just when you think you've heard it all...
When I showed up at the door today, Mom unenthusiastically said, "Oh, it's you."
I jokingly answered, "Who could you want to see more than me?" Of course, I was expecting a sweet motherly type of reply. Stupid me.
Mom answered with a question, "Which one of my kids lives farthest away?"
Zinged again, Christee
My husband wanted a snack before bed, so I asked him what about toast and peanut butter. He said yes, he would do it. I watched and he was done putting peanut butter on and I put everything away and went and sat down, but he didn't come right behind me, so I went back to see and he had put garlic salt on top of the peanut butter. I asked why, and he said it would be good. He ate it, but said it wasn't very good. He told me last night that he didn't sign up for this disease, and I said neither did I. We just have to do the best we can with what God gives us. And Pray a LOT!!
Last week my 7 year old grand-daughter was helping me with my dads nightly routine. As I was putting the exelon patch ( for dementia) on she asked me,"why do you put that on him?" I replied, "it's to help him to keep his mind from getting so confused". She looked at me with doubt on her face and said real serious like,, "Well it aint working". Then a few nights later she was trying to get dad to put his teeth in the cup so we could soak them. She says grandpa can you put your teeth in this cup. He is digging in his t-shirt saying, well I'm trying to. I said your teeth are not in your shirt they are in your mouth. My grand-daughter looks at me and says, "you better hurry up and change that patch!!!" Makes ya wonder what goes through their little minds.
My grankids have been around a lot while I have been taking care of my dad so they have seen him decline. I am so glad we have had this time with him and they got to know him.
I think it is great that you include them in his care. My grandaughter is 11 and has seen my husband's decline as well. She loves him dearly. She accepts him as he is and understands him better than our kids do. She asked me if I thought he would forget her and I assured her he wouldn't. Who else would play 28 games of tic tac toe with each other?
I just read something in my German information paper about research in the USA and I am all excited..
The University of South Fl , my Alma Mater, has just found some exciting information about a protein, called Microliacells that
seem to attack the plaque in the brain that can lead to AD. . and so to speak eat it up or kill it.
There is a machine translation of the report, which I received in German...below the ------------ line..I would call the University of Fl to see what exactly they found and get in on the research...if I lived in Fl still.
But it does sound a bit exciting. This protein GM -CSF is already available in a form of medicine that is now used for people suffering from Cancer...so it is available and the researchers are wanting to try it this year, (2010?? or early next year, not sure) on Alzheimer's patients. Oh, I pray that this is something that can help our loved ones, and that it is very quickly available.....especially for you younger folks in the early stages.
Scientists at the University of South Florida have found that rheumatoid arthritis patients have a reduced risk of Alzheimer's with. The reason for this is a cycle occurring in their blood protein.It seems that the ]Mi This protein is called "GM-CSF" and is in the body as a result of the inflammatory process in the joints are released. It called to speak the body's "garbage" on the plan, ie, special cells, the microglia are called to be active through this form of inflammation and plaques in the brain to the access, Alzheimer's disease can lead to one.
The good news is that the protein GM-CSF exists in at a cancer drug has proven form. Thus, the researchers this year attempts to Alzheimer's patients still lead. They hope that the performance of the brains of Alzheimer's patients can be improved by protein transfer.
