Just Close Your Eyes (Not a Country Song) Friday, Feb 20 2015 

No, really, I sat in the car, my Mother’s car, in the passenger seat, with my eyes closed.   My Mother is driving at my request.  I am testing her and she is actually doing okay.  Not “great” and she drives quite differently than she did previously, but I am not too worried.  But to keep from reacting when she skims too close to a car parked on the side of the road,  I just close my eyes.  I don’t inhale.  I don’t tense up or say anything.  I practice all my self restraint. When I don’t hear the mirrors crunch, I open my eyes.  It’s going to be okay.

I’ve started going to all Mom’s doctor appointments.  She’s taking what appears to be the only memory med she is going to be able to take and it is at a reduced level because she had side effects when she tried to step up to a higher/preferred dose.  They’ve already determined she cannot take Aricept.  She reacted to the higher doses of Namenda.  I am not sure if I am imaging she shows some slight improvement since she’s been on the med, but I sure want to think it.

For the last appointment, I decide that I need to see for myself how she is doing with her driving.  Dad is having more and more trouble physically, and she’s been taking on the driving.  But she did not do well on the driving memory test given by one her doctors, so I am worried.  The answer, I think, is to check it out myself.  I explain why I want her to drive, and she’s fine with it.  I expect her to be nervous, but she doesn’t appear to be.  I am ready for a slightly too slow trip.  I even allowed extra time.  Ha!  No need. That is not what happens, as she has sped up.  Acceleration is now her friend.  And as mentioned above, I closed my eyes (three times) when she fails to move away from objects too close on the side of the road.  But all in all, she did okay.  So the driving argument of ‘you can’t drive anymore’ is postponed for a while at least.  She even remembers to ask me when we get home how she did.  That’s why I think the meds might be providing a slight spark.  The Mom of a few months ago, probably would  have not thought to ask.

Chapter Thirty Two-Alzheimers Story-Last Chapter Saturday, Jul 9 2011 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On: Our story of dealing with Alzheimers

Chapter Thirty-Two

It is now the fall of 2008. The last event I’ve written about occurred 4 years ago. And it has been a long journey. We’ve been through emergency room visits and hospitalizations during which it was apparent the hospital care giver had no idea how to handle a dementia patient. (For the record, talking louder doesn’t help and the answers provided by the patient cannot be relied upon to make medical decisions.) We’ve been through various medications hoping for mental ability improvements only to again face disappointment. We’ve been through disagreements regarding maintaining all of Belle’s preventive medications for other medical issues and wondering why we should try to keep a body healthy for a mind that is no longer able to function. Although the subject had been discussion several times over the past 4 years, it wasn’t until about a year ago, after consultation with Belle’s doctor that we made the decision to stop all of her medications except her blood pressure control medication.

We’ve been through the questions and concerns of relatives that did not understand why we didn’t bring Belle to reunions or gatherings anymore. Their misunderstanding of Belle’s abilities and situation was painful to us. We would have loved for her to have been able to travel with us so she could visit with her family. It became easier for us not to attend than to explain her absence or spend the visit describing her declining situation.

We’ve been through holiday gatherings that included Belle and then suddenly, in 2007, the first Christmas that did not. In 2007, her caregivers told us it would really be too difficult on her to travel to our home for the holidays. It was a harsh reality check.

We’ve witnessed the drop off in cards and calls from friends and relatives regarding how Belle was doing, as she became more disconnected from their busy lives. Visiting Belle became difficult and as time passed, less and less people visited. Any change of any type to her routine and in some instances, a visit was a change, could be stressful for her. One of her favorite pass times, riding along with us in a car and seeing the sites became to difficult, frightening and confusing for her. However, one of her other favorite pastimes stayed with her. Scott installed a porch swing for Belle at the home, as she always loved to swing. So, on warm days, we’d sit with Belle in the back porch, and just swing. Belle always loved to swing.

Belle’s decline was inevitable and had peaks and valleys. For some time after moving to the personal care home Belle knew Scott, if not as her son, as least as someone she loved. Belle also recalled Susan for some time in this same manner. But as the end approached, Belle became a shell of her former self. Although Belle sometimes responded to her name, she no longer recalled anyone. She required assistance to eat, to walk and to do anything connected with self care or survival. Words became rare.

During the winter of 2007, just around Christmas time, we received word from Belle’s doctor that we should consider enrolling Belle in hospice care based on the decline she was displaying. She was not in immediate danger, but her decline was evident and steady. Scott spent time during the holidays speaking with each of his siblings regarding her hospice enrollment, all of which were at our house for Christmas again that year. During February 2008, Scott and I met with the hospice representative and completed her enrollment.

During the summer of 2008, Belle, who although she was still mobile, needed assistance to walk, stumbled while the caregiver was leading her through a doorway. The caregiver tried to catch her and they both went down to the tile floor. Belle’s landing was softened by landing on the caregiver, possibly saving her from broken bones or other more serious injuries. But Belle’s face hit the door jam as she fell, cutting her eyebrow, and severely bruising her check, chin and neck. Scott and Susan, in an effort to reduce the stress of the situation, took her for the injury assessment that required stitches, rather than having her transported by ambulance to the hospital. Belle’s recovery progressed from the bruising and fall remarkably well, but she continued to have TIA episodes and her abilities continued to reduce with each occurrence.

Scott continued regular visits with Belle on weekdays although we rarely visited on weekends or evenings as her decline became more evident. Evenings were difficult because she was normally asleep by the time we got off of work. Weekend visits were a catch 22 for Scott. He dreaded going but felt guilty if he didn’t go. The stress of this internal turmoil caused his gastro issues to resurface. His compromise was daytime visits. Scott stretched his lunch hour a couples of times each week and spent the time in the middle of the day feeding his mother her lunch. Then he returned to work and buried himself in a work project, no longer dwelling on his dread, guilt or grief. We kept moving ahead one day at a time.

When Belle passed away in October 2008, she was 85 years old. I thought I would feel relief at Belle’s passing, and at some level, I guess I did. I felt relief for her, that she was no longer trapped by a mind that no longer worked. I was not, however, prepared for the grief I felt. The Belle I met and known had been gone for many years, and I felt I had already grieved for her loss. But a different Belle had been a part of my life as well, and now that Belle was gone too. I was surprised to find I felt loss for both the Belles I had known. Scott felt fresh grief. He had lost his mother years before, and now that she had passed away, he felt he had lost her for a second time. He misses her in both ways.

Strangely enough, when Belle passed away, she lost the mean illness that had plagued her for so long. At her service, her illness not attend. She was at peace, with her sophisticated style in place, shining. Belle returned to being the wife, mother, sister, daughter, homemaker, activist and teacher.

Reference:

I kept a journal through some of the time frames I’ve included in our story and have included a few exerts here, mainly leading up to our decision to move Belle. The one comment that glares at me from the page could apply to any number of situations, but certainly applies to children trying to care for an Alzheimer’s patient at home. “The end of her life is destroying the middle of ours”. I do not intend to suggest that Belle could control any of the events occurred during this period of our lives, or that everyone will experience what we experienced when dealing with a parent that suffers from Alzheimer’s. But I am certain that in many cases, the emotions I’ve tried to convey while telling our story are similar for other caregivers. My intent is to support those dealing with an illness of a parent, and to let them know that those of us that have been though this completely understand.

June 2002

Things are heading down the path of every day. S seems to be able to handle issues with his mom pretty easily, and I guess I’m doing okay with her too. She manages to come up with new ways to be confused, and we mange to come up with new ways to handle it. I think mainly, we laugh. Not at her, and not when she can see us, although I’ve seen Scott laugh when he asks her about something that she did that was really off the wall, but we do laugh. I am proud of how we’ve done so far. And managed to do, the house and her without help from anyone else. Susan and her husband (don’t go there) have been a huge disappointment. S and I have talked about it and he is resigned to the fact that they are basically useless. He wishes it were different and wishes he could rely on them, but he knows it is not going to happen. Me? I am just mad at them for the immature way they do things and not caring if S crashes under the weight of it all. But, I really have to find a way to let that go.

June 2002

It is so sad to see someone deteriorate in mental capacity. And it must be hard to be that person. I’ve often wondered just how much she understands about what is happening to her. Glimpses of the person she used to be pop out from time to time, but I’d have to say that is occurring with less and less frequency than it use to. I think I have to believe she is not aware of how drastic the changes to her abilities really are. Because the idea that she knows how she is now is almost too much to get my mind around. I think about how difficult it would be if this was happening to me, and how I would feel if I knew it was. And I can say without a doubt that it is not good feeling. I think she used to know, and I know that she knows things are not like they used to be, but she is not aware (I think) of just how far they’ve gone. Sounds like I am talking in circles, but really, I am not.

July 2002

S has been over the edge with frustration and stress. Partly due to the construction, but mostly due to his mom. She often has bad days; days that she doesn’t function as well as what would be considered ‘normal’ for her. But recently a stretch of bad days has indicated to us that she is moving into a new less able stage. However, the up side of that, or however you want to look at it, is that numerous people, including her DR have commented on how much better her disposition is, that she is happier, and her confidence has improved. It appears to get better as her stay with us moves her further from the times with Susan. The down side of this new found confidence is that as her confidence grows, she tries to do things she cannot do safely anymore, which gives us more stress and worry trying to keep her from hurting herself or other things. The fact that she feels better even if she is not improving in her abilities proves that we made the right move by keeping her with us.

When this stuff with Belle was changing with Susan and her husband, they indicated they would remain involved, helping, even having her live with them part time. That has turned out not to be true. They have done nothing, and I mean not one thing with or for Belle since mid April, when they moved on. Not even a Mother’s Day card. I mean absolutely nothing. S and I were not sure whether we wanted them to be involved or not, and certainly Belle’s mind frame is better without them, so our concern was justified, but I cannot fathom not caring enough to even ask or visit, or get a damn card. Susan has always said she was selfish, and I knew she was, but this is even too much for me to believe.

September 2002

Things at home are plodding along. Belle’s abilities have definitely decreased over the last few months. And some of the things she does defy the rational mind.

September 2002

Scott places such high standards on issues regarding Belle that I/us/life tends is lost in the process. The end of her life is destroying the middle of ours. It seems important to say that she should have what she needs to be comfortable and be well taken care of. That is not the issue. The issue is, everything in our lives, and I mean everything, revolves around her and his perception of her needs. Making sure she is comfortable, happy, content, included, not rushed etc is more important than anything else even on the smallest of things. We’ve stopped doing anything as a couple. We are a threesome. Activity must be planned to fit her pace and she must be included in everything, even if she has no clue as to what the activity is. In some cases, even if she knows what the activity is and in her former self would have preferred not to be included, he insists we cannot go/do/whatever without her. Since she moved in, he has asked to have someone watch her for us twice. Once S asked Chuck and his wife to take her for a few hours so we could attend an anniversary party. The other item, S asked Susan to watch her for an evening while I was in San Diego, so he could go out with a friend. Deacon watched her one evening months ago, so S and I could go to a play. The rest is a threesome. So while I do not want to spend all my time at work, I do not want to go home either.

Had a long, long, confused conversation with Belle last week. She again stated she knows she is having ‘problems’ completing things and she just is not able to do what she used to. I asked her if she could give me an example. She said ‘chores’. She cannot seem to finish her ‘chores, you know like dusting’. Of course, I did not tell her she is having difficulty with a hell of a lot more than ‘chores’. I wish I was just worried about dusting. And, not that is needs to be said, but it is not her fault.

November 2002

Belle continues to deteriorate. Even though this is not unexpected, it is still hard to deal with. Her argumentativeness has increased, and she needs help with even the basic functions of self care. In the past, she would not listen to me but S could get her to do what was needed. Now she argues with him and flashes her eyes like a child when told to do something or be assisted with some task. Scott keeps being surprised by this activity, but for me it’s all ‘old’ hap. She’s acted like that for me for some time now. There was one instance last week where Scott started the process for her to go to church, and she was so uncooperative, he stopped, called her ride and canceled. He was so mad, I had to take over, and I basically let her go back to bed. She sleeps more now, and that too is expected from what I understand. As the brain strains to work it tires more easily, thus the extra sleeping. Although I wonder sometimes if her brain is straining to work, as she seems so completely out of it. [I feel the need to stress I know it is not her fault.]

December 2002

I had a brief talk with S about the situation with his mom and her continued decline. It is a subject we have a hard time discussing, as we tend to disagree. When she first came to live with us her abilities still allowed her to help with some things, in a controlled atmosphere. We did our best to allow her to help even if it was very slow and needed review. The situation is such now that she cannot do anything without constant supervision, being told step by step what to do, and still not being able to understand and complete the task at hand. [I am not talking about complicated things, I am talking about clearing the table, folding towels, getting dressed/undressed, taking a shower etc.] I do not want to leave her out of everything, but since she cannot complete anything, the frustration levels skyrocket. She still thinks she can do things, and seems to have no idea that her abilities do not allow her to assist any longer. And doesn’t understand what is happening around her. Minor things like standing in the middle of the kitchen while we try to get dinner on the table or the kitchen cleaned, not moving out of the way [even when asked or told], and not being able to do anything to help. She also will not do anything I ask or tell her to do, but S can say the same thing and she will. I get eyes flashes like a spoiled child.

July 9, 2003

The Home called me today, said Belle was complaining of a headache and generally mopey. Based on the level of activity they keep going, I can understand it. She gets overwhelmed sometimes and it always comes out as she has a headache. I’ll bet because she one of the higher functioning residents, they think she can keep on going and going. She and they are still adjusting and in time, they will understand her limitations. And in time her abilities will continue to decrease.

September 2004

Belle is doing as well as can be expected. We visited with her on Monday evening, taking her out for a burger. She still loves burgers. And finger food is best when eating out, as silverware is not an option in public. But, she even had problems with finger food on Monday. S handled it pretty good, but by the end of the visit, it was obvious that he was taxed. He’s been on medication for depression for a few weeks now, and it seems to be helping.

December 2004

Belle’s brother and sister in law came out for a visit during November. We kept Belle at the house overnight. She never did recall them and I think they were shocked by her appearance and lack of abilities. We’d told them about it before they saw her, but until one sees it for themselves, it is hard to take in. Even now not seeing her in awhile and then taking her somewhere brings it home all over again. It is like the mind doesn’t want to hold on to bad information. Or wants to put a positive spin on things.

February 2006

Belle is declining as is expected. S takes it very hard. She rarely knows anyone and rarely talks. It is too confusing for her to join us for family functions most of the time. The last couple times we’ve tried she’s just had a really bad day.

November 2006

Belle is in a personal care home in closer to us now, making it easier for us to visit without it being an all day event. She continues to decline. I gave up my backyard swing so we could install it at Belle’s, as she still likes to swing. We are trying to locate another swing for our yard. S still feels bad when he visits and bad when he doesn’t. It’s a no win situation.

June 2007

S still shows signs of stress regarding the topic of his mom. He has started going to visit during the week at lunch time. I think it helps because he comes back to work and has to focus on something vs. just letting his mom’s situation rattle around in his head after a weekend visit. When we visit on a weekend, he is very quiet and morose after the visit.

Note for the reader: I’ve tried throughout this story to provide an accurate account of the events as they occurred. But regardless of how the events unraveled, the main point I wanted to impress was that the persons impacted by this disease are far reaching and misunderstood. How the afflicted person declines and how it impacts the lives around them is different with each situation, but many of the feelings –good and bad — for the patient and their loved ones, are the same. A family grieves for a lost loved one that lives but is no longer the person they were.

Chapter Thirty One-Alzheimers Story Saturday, Jul 9 2011 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers

Chapter Thirty-One

The atmosphere at the personal care home was more far more conducive for Belle’s needs than her previous home and we fancied we saw some improvement.  She appeared calmer and more at ease. We continued our visits and drives, with chocolate shake treats and dinners out.  If we chose to stay at the home to visit, the back porch was normally where we would visit, watching the birds and listening to the wind chimes.   Scott continued his routine of talking to all the little ladies at the home and they smiled and shined whenever he stopped by.   Our only issue with the home was its location, which was over an hour’s drive from our home.

Christmas of 2004 was our first Christmas in our new home, and Scott thought a family reunion  with his siblings would be nice for his family.  He also felt it might be the last year that Belle recalled her children.  So, we invited his siblings out for Christmas and made plans for Belle to be able to attend.  In the months that had passed since Belle’s move out of our house, Susan had gotten divorced and moved closer to our new home.  Between  our home and hers, we felt we could accommodate the whole group for a holiday visit.

We had a house full. Larry and Emma came down from Wyoming and Mike came over from east Texas.  They all stayed with us. Chuck’s family already had plans out of state, but Chuck’s work schedule was going to limit his ability to spend the holiday with them on the trip.  He decided to stay home and attend the sibling reunion.  Since he lived over an hour away, he also stayed with us during the holidays.   Susan made arrangements to keep Belle overnight at her house on Christmas Eve.  Everything was all set.

On Christmas day 2004, Scott, his siblings, his mother and our two sons spent the day eating watching football and visiting.  Pictures of that Christmas day, ten years after the last Christmas spent together fixing up Belle’s new city home, show a family once again posed in front of a fireplace, older, tired, and glad to be together.  We all thought it might be the last time for this group to enjoy their mother’s company.

Chapter Thirty-Alzheimers Story Sunday, Jan 31 2010 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers

Chapter Thirty

Scott and I started to recover.  It seemed that Scott had forgotten how to have fun, be relaxed, and be himself.  We’ve forgotten how to be a couple, have conversation one on one and have fun.  We began to try joint activities and rekindle our relationship.  Although many of our conversation still focused on Belle, we began to speak of other things as well, a habit we had struggled with while she was living with us. We focused on the details of completing our new home, still under construction, such as fixtures and colors. Even with the immediate responsibility of Belle’s physical care removed from us, and the relief we both felt, Scott continued to feel guilty at the need move her to the facility. His regular visits that demonstrated his mother’s well being seemed to help him adjust and although he still felt guilty, the overall impact of his feelings on his demeanor diminished.   The decision to move Belle into full time assistance allowed Scott to refocus on their mother and son relationship instead of the practical, daily care side of their relationship.  He had stated often during the time she lived with us that no son should ever have to dress or bathe their mother. Scott’s stress signs began to ease.  Even as crazy as some of our visits with Belle could get, he was able to laugh and take weird happenings in stride.  Scott began to have more contact with Susan and their strained relationship eased a bit.  We began to feel we had turned a corner and that the worse of it for us was over.

About a month after moving in, Belle suffered an event which left her weak and confused.  It wasn’t the same type of issue as the fainting episodes she had experienced from time to time in previous months. After testing, the doctor ruled out a heart attack, but not the beginning of congestive heart failure or others issues along those lines.  Her heart rate was slower than the previous year, with no visible signs as to why.  In general however, she was otherwise physically healthy.  Belle was still taking high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bone density, and memory medications and we discussed with the doctor if it might be appropriate to discontinue any of these preventative medications.  We opted to continue each one, but the doctor reminded us that we should consider approving a DNR, and having it on file at the facility.  We agreed that no extraordinary measures should be taken in the event of a life threatening event, but that Belle should be treated for pain if appropriate.  Scott completed the DNR and filed it with the facility and the doctor.

We visited Belle for July 4th, during a scheduled family day at the facility.  Belle did not stop the activity she was involved in with the rest of the gang to visit with us.  She waved at us from the middle of the group and it reminded me of a little kid in a school play, waving at the parents when they are suppose to be singing, dancing or whatever.  She’d smile and wave and then try to refocus on what they were doing, while we watched from the sidelines.  Some of the residents had family visit and some did not, but since most residents did not know who belonged to who, it would be a leap to stay they did not know someone did not come to visit them.  It was not uncommon for other residents to think we were there to visit them versus Belle.  Scott had two of the little ladies that followed him around whenever he was there to visit.  He would just jump right in and help them out if they seemed to need anything or require assistance.  Sometimes I think he was better with them than the paid staff, mainly because for those few moments, he was able to focus on them without being responsible for anyone else.

I, once again, worked the closest to the facility (about three blocks away), so I was the first responder in the event Belle had an episode or a complaint that needed attention.  The facility did not issue over the counter medications without permission, so if Belle complained of a headache or cough, they would call me for permission for her to consume the requested item.  If they called Scott, he would give his permission then he would call me to run over and check on her since I was so close.  So basically, I was back on emergency run duty.

The facility used any method possible to create exercise for those able. They tossed soft items between each other while seated.  They rolled a ball around in the same manner.  They often played music and encouraged dance as one of the exercise methods.  Belle, in her changed personality state, seemed to like to wiggle around and dance and often when music played she would stand up in the group and dance.  Scott and I were still often surprised with her action in this area, because despite everything, it was still so out of her previous character for her to dance. On one visit, the group was in the middle of one of these music sessions and Scott joined the circle seated around the living room floor (the dance floor) while Belle danced in the middle of the circle.  As the music continued Belle started a flirtatious dance aimed at Scott and suddenly, without any warning, lifted her lightweight sweater to flash him with her chest.  I was standing on the other side of the room and saw her flash him and saw his expression. Scott was shocked, in more ways than one, as it was certainly not her personality type to flash her chest at anyone, much less him and to top it off, she wasn’t wearing anything under the sweater.   He blurted out in a surprised, choked voice “what are you doing?” while the music continued to play and Belle continued to dance. As she danced around the area a bit more, she moved closer to Scott, smiled coyly, and said in a clear, sweet, flirtatious voice, “if you don’t know, I’m flirting with you.”  I laughed until I almost cried.  Although no harm was done, Scott’s shock and surprise stayed etched on his face for the rest of our visit, which was not very long.  We can both laugh about it now, although for some time after this event, Scott felt it was a reminder of just how strange and impacting this disease was, and how far from normal Belle had become.  He grieved for the loss of his mother.

Soon after Belle’s arrival at the facility, another lady, also new to the facility, attached herself to Belle and sometimes believed that Belle was her husband.  While Belle had for the most part been in good spirits throughout her decline and even with the onset of her angrier levels still tended to be in good sprits most of the time, Bobbie displayed her dementia symptoms differently than Belle.  Bobbie tended to cry or, as Bobbie once told us ‘vibrate’.  Her anxiousness was clearly visible while she paced and wrung her hands.  Now that she had attached herself to Belle, she was constantly at Belle’s side, touching her hair, trying to hold her hand or attempting to talk with her and for her.  Belle’s reaction to this unwanted attention varied.  Sometimes, we would see no reaction at all, while other times she would display signs of stress that would manifest them in amplifying her recent habits.  She might sit by herself, turn her collar up, complain of a headache or that her eyes were tired, a common phrase used when she could not express what she really felt.  She might also refuse to eat when her stress levels were high.  After this situation became apparent and showed no signs of abating, Scott spoke with facility management about the issue.    Bobbie had not adjusted well to her new surroundings and her family had been told they may need to hire a full time helper for Bobbie to redirect her and otherwise keep her from affecting other residents.  The staff of the facility was aware of the issue and was already working on it with Bobbie’s family.   Bobbie was reevaluated by her doctor and her medications were adjusted.  This medication adjustment obviously calmed her down and although she still thought Belle was her husband, the calmer Bobbie was easier for Belle to tolerate.  As time passed, Belle sought Bobbie out for attention and they spent much of their time together.  It was not uncommon for them to hold hands or for Bobbie to tell us that ‘he is just wonderful’ during a visit.   Staff told us it was not uncommon for patients to become attached to one another, and most of the time, no issues arose.

At Christmas time, many families gathered at the facility for a Christmas sing along by the residents.  We were surprised and amused to see Bobbie’s ‘real’ husband present. No one had to point him out to us although later on we were introduced.  His resemblance to Belle was striking, same hair (color and length), same build, and glasses.  We now fully understood how someone suffering from dementia could come to believe that Belle was her husband.

As mentioned earlier, one of our pastimes during this period was to pick Belle up and take a drive to our new home under construction.  Living as a builder’s wife for most of her married life, she was familiar with job sites, and often visits to our home would bring forth a pleasant, relevant comment or two.  Scott would carefully lead her through the work site and she would chatter about whatever came into view.  We often sat at the picnic table we installed at the site and ate a snack.  This activity allowed us to spent time with Belle without stressing her or us.  It was during one of these visits that a moment of clarity hit Belle.  She looked at Scott sincerely, and told him she was proud of him and that Jim would have been proud too.  Scott was taken aback, overwhelmed and grateful.

It was also on one of these visits that we experienced an unpleasant side of Belle’s decline. After visiting the house, Scott assisted Belle back into the car and we took a short drive through the neighborhood.  Although Belle had not indicated that anything was amiss, it was soon apparent that we had an issue. Belle had been experiencing bladder control issues for some time, but she had not had, that we were aware of, had an issue with bowel control.  In that area, she was good at telling us she needed to use the restroom. But, unfortunately, on this occasion, she had an accident.  We pulled into the neighborhood park, which included a bathroom and proceeded to correct the situation.   While cleaning Belle up, she did not seem to understand what was happening and although she kept stating ‘oh my’, I had the impression it was because the water from the tap was cold versus maintaining an understanding that she had had an accident.  This event brought home to us once again, that time did not stand still and that she was losing more and more of her abilities.

As the months passed, we began to notice some things about the facility that caused us concern.  First, with 16 dementia patients all residing together, the atmosphere inside the facility could be frenzied.  Patients can get agitated and when one resident got worked up, it could have a negative impact on other patients.   Several times, when visiting Belle, she seemed upset by the actions of others, and it seemed to cause a bad day for her. A second issue was that residents had access to each other’s rooms and Belle’s things were often relocated to other rooms. Even with her name written in her clothes or on other belongings, it was difficult to keep items from moving around, and we were frequently retrieving her items from other resident’s rooms so she could have them.  It was also not uncommon to arrive and find her wearing someone else’s shoes, or taking a nap in someone else’s room. Additionally, Belle was one of the higher functioning residents and we began to suspect that due to her abilities, she received less attention than other residents.  Some of the other residents required almost constant attention, leaving less time for the caregivers to concentrate on residents at Belle’s level.  Belle needed to be monitored and reminded to ensure she was drinking plenty of fluids and eating or she would just at the table without consuming her food.    Although we felt she was safe at the facility, and we felt in general she was receiving the care she needed, we felt like this attention to detail might be missing.

With the expense of her current home and these attention concerns fresh in our minds, we decided to resume looking for alternative living arrangements for Belle that might have a ‘smaller’ atmosphere, a facility with fewer dementia patients that required attention and a facility that, hopefully would cost less.   The nurse practitioner at Belle’s doctor’s office recommended a specific personal care home not too far from us that catered to elderly with all kinds of issues.  The maximum resident capacity was four at any one time and it was located in a regular house in a neighborhood.  Scott contacted the facility’s owners and discussed at length Belle’s situation and his desired level of care for her. Susan, Scott and I visited the house, met with the owners and as a group, discussed Belle’s situation and our concerns.  We all agreed that the smaller atmosphere would benefit Belle.  We were also pleased that the cost was substantially less than her current facility. In January 2004 we placed her name on their waiting list.

On February 13, 2004 Belle suffered a severe episode and passed out while trying to use the bathroom. EMS was called.  I received the call from the facility as well and arrived at the facility just after EMS arrived.   Belle looked awful and pale as she lay perfectly still and the gurney.  For a moment, I thought she was gone.  EMS worked on her for some time trying to get a pulse or blood pressure reading, and finally, a pulse weakly appeared.  As she began to wake up, Belle was obviously frightened and obviously did not understand what was happening around her and to her. I held her hand, telling her all would be okay, as they prepared her for the ambulance.  As she was loaded into the ambulance, I told her I would be following her and that Scott was also on his way to her.  She whispered thank you.  Mentioning Scott always helped calm her.

Scott, Susan and her husband arrived at the hospital soon after Belle and I.    Tests were conducted to determine what had occurred, as this spell was not the same as the other small TIAs she had experienced.  The diagnosis was that she was dehydrated and had a low heart rate, a similar diagnosis as her last spell when she had first moved to the facility.  The dehydration that impacted her bowels with constipation causing her to strain to vacate and the low heart rate had caused to her pass out under this strain.  The doctor recommended that she receive a pacemaker as a low heart rate could cause to her faint under stress or, in a worst case scenario, her heart could just stop.

Scott refused to approve the placement of a pacemaker. Keeping her body going strong when her mind was gone was just not reasonable.  Although Scott explained Belle’s mental dementia situation to the doctor treating her for this episode, along with our concern she would harm the device by constantly picking or scratching at it under her skin, the doctor was very surprised at Scott’s steadfast denial of permission to proceed.  It was quite obvious that he did not agree with the decision. The doctor seemed to think it was an expense issue and repeated several times that Medicare would cover the procedure.  However, Scott did not change his mind and in the doctors’ presence, Susan and I agreed with Scott’s decision.  It was obvious the doctor did not understand our position or Belle’s mental incapacity.

As we spoke with the doctor, leaving Belle for a brief time in the emergency room under the supervision of others, who had been told that Belle could not be left alone, Belle managed to remove all her tubes (IVs for hydration) and monitors (pulse, heart) by just ripping them off and out of her.   The aid said she only left Belle alone for a moment or two.  Even though this occurred after Scott had declined the pacemaker option, her actions provided ample proof to us that a pacemaker, which can be felt under the skin, would be, in her mental condition, an issue.  We felt it was likely she could scratch at it in the same manner she scratched off moles on her skin.

Later that afternoon, we took Belle back to the facility for the night and explained the situation.  We felt that part of the issue that had caused her episode, which was Belle’s severe dehydration, was directly due to her care at the facility.    They were responsible for monitoring her fluid intake to prevent just this type of situation.  They assured us they were doing all required of them, but would be more diligent with her fluid intake.

The next morning we contacted the owner of the personal care home to ascertain the status of the wait list.  A couple that had been living at the personal care home while he recuperated from surgery was planning to move back to their home at month end, earlier than expected.  So, with perfect timing in our opinion, an opening for Belle would be available at the beginning of the following month.   We made arrangements to move Belle to the personal care home as soon as possible.

Scott called his brothers.  He told them what happened with the most recent episode, what he had decided regarding the pacemaker and about moving Belle to the personal care home.  Mike, as usual, was the most supportive.  He was the least involved with his mother’s care and the most supportive throughout all the phases of Belle’s situation thus far.   Chuck was tentative about another move, but bowed to Scott’s power to decide.  Larry was the most vocal but was at least complimentary of the cost savings for the new location.

Once again timing was on our side and the couple occupying the room Belle would be assigned decided to make their move the following week.  We packed up Belle’s belongs and moved Belle to the new home as soon as the couple had finished moving out.  I re-hung all her pictures and made her new room as much like home as possible. Belle adjusted surprisingly well to the move.  She was the only dementia patient in residence and the slower pace of the home provided her with more ‘good’ days.

Chapter Twenty Nine-Alzheimers Story Wednesday, Jan 20 2010 

 But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers 

Chapter Twenty Nine

The facility we selected was expensive and catered to persons with Alzheimer’s/dementia.  It was built for that purpose and was basically a house with 16 bedrooms.  It had a nice, large oak filled back yard that afforded the mobile residents outdoor time if desired. The front door of the facility was locked with a security entry system to ensure residents couldn’t leave without permission. The facility boasted a nice living space and separate dining space that allowed for group activities and family visits. Belle would have her own room and bathroom with a commode and sink.  Baths were taken in a special area with a special tub with a door so that residents did not have to step over the side of a tub into a shower.  (We had worried about this situation at home with Belle.) The facility had a hairdresser that came in once a week and used the small hair salon to keep the residents looking their best. All in all, it seemed like a perfect fit. The individuals in residence were at all different levels of assistance, from those requiring a hired helper to those like Belle, that were mobile and maintained a small level of self ability.   After the doctors and facility’s assessment of Belle were completed, all involved agreed her needs would be met. We finalized our decision with a deposit which confirmed we would be placing Belle at the facility and started the expected six month or more wait.  The day care would close down before the estimated 6 month wait was over and we worried about how we would manage Belle during the gap. We discussed the possibility of each of us taking shortened work weeks and tag team staying home.  We both had some leave time built up and if our employers would cooperate, we could care for her at home without too much of a financial impact on us. I checked on how my work laptop could connect from home, hoping I could work some from home while still caring for Belle.  However, in mid May 2003, just as we finalized the decision, the facility notified us of an opening beginning in June.  We agreed Belle would fill that open slot. We called Scott’s siblings and explained the decision. 

When the time for her move was close, I channeled my emotional energy into all the needed activities. I took two days off from work and began preparing for the move.  I made copies of favorite family pictures from her bedroom with us, framed the copies and placed name labels on the glass over the picture.  I thought the labels might help her recall her loved ones and also allow caregivers to engage in conversation with her regarding the people in the pictures.  I thought if she mentioned a family member by name, the caregiver could point out the loved one to Belle for reference. I made sure that each immediate family member was featured in a picture.  I coordinated preparation for the rest of her personal items and furniture she would be taking with her, including the memory books of family pictures we used to assist her with conversation and recall.  I marked all her clothes, sheets and other items.   I coordinated with the facility to get her room painted a light cheery pale yellow.   Scott coordinated her medication transfer, as the facility required bubble packs versus loose mediations in a bottle.

On June 12th, the day before Belle’s scheduled arrival, Scott and I delivered her belongings to her new room.   I set up her room by arranging the furniture, hanging her pictures and placing her clothes in her closet.  Our plan was to have the room ‘hers’, familiar and comfortable, before she arrived.  We wanted her to feel settled and at home to ease her transition.

On June 13th, Scott and I accompanied her to her new home and stayed with her while she inspected her new surroundings.   The attention to detail and care taken to make sure she was comfortable in her new surroundings seemed to work and as she explored her new room, she moved from picture to picture, reading the names out loud or laughing.    She immediately began interacting with other residents and after watching her for awhile, we decided it was time for us to leave.  Susan had originally planned to accompany us when we brought Belle to her new home, but Susan’s plans changed, and she promised to visit her that evening and let us know how things were progressing. So, with some reluctance, we started our goodbyes.  I watched Scott closely as I was sure he would crack under the stain and the guilt he felt that we could no longer keep her at home.  He kissed her and told her we’d be back later to visit and that Susan would be by to visit later.  He helped her settle in to a seat in the dining room to eat her first meal at her new home. As we left the facility that day, I watched as Scott cried for the first time in many years.   

We were concerned that the change in living arrangements would negatively impact Belle’s abilities.  We were concerned that she was past the ability to adjust to new surroundings. The staff at the facility told us that sometimes families wait too long to place a loved on in a facility of this nature out of guilt and by the time the person comes to live at the facility the transition is not smooth.   They are in new surroundings that are not familiar and they cannot recall why.  But Belle adapted very well to her new home.  We were thrilled she still had enough ability to adjust.  Sometimes when we came to visit, she acted as if we are interrupting her business.  We purchased wind chimes for the back yard and large flower pots with blooming flowers which Scott and Belle tended on our visits.  We ate meals with her in the dining room, watched movies with her in the living room or sat with her in the backyard swing.  Belle seemed to believe the facility was her house and would turn off the lights others turned on.  We laughed on more than one occasion when she complained to us that these other people in her house were wasting electricity or would wonder out loud who all these people at her house were. 

We began a routine of at least one weekday and one weekend visit, unless something dictated otherwise.  We frequently took Belle for drives to look at fall leaves or Christmas lights. Sometimes we drove out to her old country home or by other places from her past.  Sometimes we drove out to our new house, still under construction, and drove through what would be our new neighborhood, pointing out flowers, trees and house designs we thought she would like. Many times, if a house was pointed out, she would comment that Jim had built it, when of course he had not. She continued to like chocolate shakes, so sometimes we purchased the treat and just drove around while she drank it. Susan also began to visit regularly, taking Belle out of the facility for manicures and snacks.

Chapter Twenty Eight-Alzheimers Story Wednesday, Jan 6 2010 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers 

Chapter Twenty Eight

In late 2002, Scott and I decided that the two story structure of our home was no longer conducive for Belle’s care. She was having more difficulty navigating the stairs, and the upstairs bathroom was too small to be able to assist her in the shower without being a contortionist. We needed a one story home with a larger bathroom. We discussed looking for another home in our area and decided we were tired of living in the city.  We bought a few acres about 30 miles away outside of the city, in a small town within commuting distance.  Using the information gathered during all of our years of touring model homes and homes under construction, we began designing a new home to be built with our wants and Belle’s needs in mind.  The project gave us something to focus on besides Belle.  We spent at least one weekend day, with Belle hanging out with us, clearing the heavily wooded lot, roughing it, and in general having a nice day.  We committed to the project and began to make plans accordingly.  We again had something fun to work on together. 

Belle began to have recurring episodes of what appeared to be fainting.   The first one occurred in November 2002 when Belle was visiting with Chuck and his family the day after Thanksgiving.  Belle was suddenly weak and more confused than normal.   Then she slept for an extended period of time and seemed to be her normal self the following day.  Scott spoke with her doctor, and was told that this was not uncommon and not to worry.   The doctor mentioned that we may want to consider placing a DNR in Belle’s file.  Between November and March Belle had one or two small episodes, and then would bounce back.  In early March of 2003 the worse of these spells to this point occurred while Belle taking a shower with the assistance of Scott.  She went slack and then passed out. Scott caught her before she hit anything, injuring his back catching her dead weight and yelled for my assistance. Between the both of us, we were able to remove her from the shower/tub enclosure and although the upstairs bathroom was very small, we were able to maneuver in the tight space and lay her on the floor of the bathroom.  Unlike the previous spells that involved passing out and then confusion, this time she experienced loss of bowel control.  Once we placed her safely on the floor, we were able to clean her up, dry her off, and attempt to ascertain her condition.  She regained consciousness quickly but was highly confused and sleepy. We managed to get her into bed and she slept for hours.  This spell was more severe than some of her previous spells and we once again had her checked out by her doctor.   The doctor stated her spell had appeared to be a TIA (mini stroke), which is a common symptom of Alzheimer’s due to the brittleness of the blood veins.  He also spoke to us again about placing a DNR on file.

Although she appeared to be fully recovered physically from the March episode, we noted an increase in her anger levels.  She began to lash at both of us more often, and seemed to, in general be more moody and less cooperative.  Her hostility at me was obviously increased. She became uncooperative and belligerent without any reason.  In the past, she would normally follow instruction provided by Scott, but now instances of balking at his instructions and refusing to cooperate increased.  Without her partial cooperation, my ability to assist Scott with her personal care markedly diminished causing the majority of the physical care to be provided by Scott, as even with her resistance, she still would cooperate more easily with him than me.  I assumed even more of the background support functions and Scott assumed full lead with Belle.  I began to see obvious signs of stress in Scott.  He was obviously physically, emotionally and mentally fatigued. 

After careful consideration, I suggested it might be time to start investigating other living options for Belle.     Our ability to care for her at home was becoming increasingly difficult, and at the same time, it appeared access to day care might be discontinued, which would make keeping her with us impossible. The adult day care Belle was attending each day as a paying customer was slated to lose its state funding with budget cuts the theme of the day.  When the funding for the day care facility was suggested as a place to cut back, I tried to fight the cut backs by writing letters to each legislator, explaining in detail the hardship the closure of the facility would cause for the families that used the facility.  I also explained that some of those using the facility were paying customers, even though the facility relied on state funding for its survival.  Most of my letters did not receive a response and the one that did was a form thank you letter. 

Scott struggled with the idea of Belle living elsewhere and not being under his watchful eye the majority of the time.  He seemed to think that it meant we had failed in some manner if Belle was placed in any type of facility care.  We discussed the situation repeatedly during the later part of March.  My position was that we had been frugal with her funds, investing them carefully, so that when the time came that she needed more care than we could give, we would have alternatives available to us and that she would have enough funds to be able to pay for her care as long as she needed care.  We had always known, in the recesses of our minds, that we would not always be able to provide Belle’s care ourselves at home, and I felt, it might to time to look into what alternatives were available to us.  Scott finally stated that he just couldn’t push himself to research this area, but if I thought it was best and time to complete the research, he would listen to whatever I learned.  I began performing research for what types of assistance was available and what it might cost.

Dementia suffers require a specific kind of care that is not often readily available at most facilities that offer elder care.  Many facilities cater to the loss of physical function or a combination of loss of physical and mental function but are not equipped to deal with dementia of an able bodied person.  I quickly determined though reading articles online, speaking with staff at her doctors office and speaking with several administrators from some of the local facilities, that Belle would require specialized surroundings catering to dementia patients that were still mobile and that she was past the assisted living stage of care normally offered.  Her assisted living stage had been occurring when she was living next door to us and with us.

I located several local facilities that touted providing appropriate assistance to patients with dementia issues.  We checked out references for each location and based on the information received, decided to visit three of the facilities.  Two of the facilities were general elder care, with Alzheimer’s wings, and one facility was strictly for the care of patients with Alzheimer’s.  We made appointments to visit each facility on different days, as Scott was sure three visits in one day would be overwhelming to his guilt level.   As we made these plans, we were also told that Belle’s day care program was definitely slated for budget cuts and would be closed down later that summer.   

With the closure of the day care program looming, we were in a time crunch for addressing Belle’s needs. She could not be alone during the day, and we couldn’t afford not to work and provide her with full time care ourselves.  We discussed trying full time help in our home, but that did not solve the evening issue that was impacting us.  Although Scott struggled (felt guilty) with the decision that Belle needed full time care outside our home, he agreed without the availability of day care, it was the correct choice.  We visited the three facilities I had identified as appropriate for Belle’s care and reviewed her financial position in depth.  Whichever facility was selected, the price tag would not be inexpensive.

Each visit was difficult, and although I had initially not been pleased with stretching the visits out over a longer period, it turns out to be better to do so, emotionally speaking.  Each facility offered what was needed.  And each facility was full of suffers like Belle at different levels of decline.  The time in between each visit allowed us some time to recoup, take a deep breathe, and discuss the pros and cons of the facility in a reasonable way, trying our best to not be emotional.

We decided that Belle’s needs would best be suited by the style and care given at the facility that strictly catered to Alzheimer’s suffers.  Additionally, it was practically across the street from my employer, and although quite a distance from our current home, it would be convenient to our home under construction. We contacted each of Scott’s siblings and discussed the situation in depth.  All agreed it was time for this change.  The normal waiting list was six months, and since the daycare would be closed before then, we were uncertain how we would manage until an opening became available.    We had Belle evaluated by her doctor.  The assessment staff of the facility met with Belle and performed their specialized assessment of her to determine her function level as they related to what assistance they offered.   With the decision made, some of the burden was lifted, but none of the guilt.

Chapter Twenty Seven-Alzheimers Story Wednesday, Jan 6 2010 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers

Chapter Twenty- Seven

As Belle declined, Scott and I disagreed more and more about how her lack of abilities were impacting us and in some cases what her abilities were.  I started to keep a journal of my complaints, because each time I tried to talk about my feelings with Scott, he would shut down emotionally. He was doing all he could do to keep the situation afloat, and he needed me to be self sufficient.  Reading back through some of my comments at the time, I can freshly recall the frustration and isolation I felt.

An entry from January 2003:

S and I both took time off during the holidays and managed to eek out a few hours together without his mom.  We are struggling not to kill our relationship because we are caring for her.  For some couples this would not be so difficult, as they never talk anyway, but S and I have the kind of relationship that includes a lot of talk, and we cannot do it with her around all the time.  And the added complication is when we do have time to talk, we almost always turn to talking about her and where things are.  We disagree on her abilities and how to handle things regarding her.  Last Saturday night we had a big blow up about her.  I think the main disagreement was that he insists on including her in every conversation and activity even when it is obvious that she is not able to participate in the activity or follow the conversation.  It taxes her to try when this happens, and she gets worse.  When she says something that is wrong [Jim just called and is coming to pick her up as an example] he never corrects her.  So she builds more conversation on the wrong information and we go into lala land.  My experience is that you can gently correct her, and it will refocus her to something else, that she might get right.  If you let her continue into lala land the tales get bigger and bigger until they are outright lies.  And I mean lies.  She makes up some whoppers and they go on and on.  She does not understand that we know what she is saying is not true.  And when I say lie, I do not mean things like “Jim said”, it’s more like “When I climbed Mount Everest”.  Stories S has heard all his life and that I’ve heard for 26 years are suddenly different now and she is always the shining star that saved the day.  I know it is part of the disease, but that doesn’t mean I should have to sit and listen to it forever, paying rapt attention.  We did that in the beginning, but there are just not enough hours in the day.  Once again I am not advocating cutting her off or being mean about it, but gently leading her away from a subject she cannot handle truthfully.  She can have a 20 minute conversation out loud that never says anything and we cannot figure out what the seed beneath the layers is.  In the past, when she would start talking about something, if you listened closely, you could figure out what the common thread was that connects the disjointed sentences.  Now, the thread is gone and the disjointed sentences do not seem to relate to anything and of course she cannot tell you what she means.

She is having more wetting accidents and then takes the protective underwear off and hides them.  Then proceeds to go around with nothing on to protect from another accident.  Or she rips the lining out of the underwear out and flushes it.  Or pulls them down and then wets.    At least three times a week she is wetting the bed through the underwear.  Sometimes she tries to make the bed to hide the wet linens.

She is paranoid, thinking that people she sees are threats to her, saying things like ‘that Mexican kid (meaning my 10 year old niece) is going to hit her in the head and steal her purse.’  Blocking off doors with furniture, hiding hammers under the bed.

A list of other things?  Palming car keys and other small objects and hiding them, wiping her nose on clean towels as she tries to fold them, wiping her nose on other peoples dinner napkins then folding it and putting it back next to the plate, answering the TV remote thinking it is the telephone, hiding food in her clothes, closet and dresser drawers, screw driver in the freezer, full water glasses in the cabinets or freezer, moving her food all around the plate scraping the fork on the plate like fingernails on the chalk board,  eating tarter sauce, or salad dressings by itself  or spreading it on her dinner roll, always insisting that her blouse collar be turned up like it is freezing outside when it is summer….it’s the little things that drive you nuts.  You haven’t lived until you open the freezer and a glass of cold water dumps down the front of you………

Scott and I struggled under the weight of the responsibility for Belle’s physical and financial well being.    It became more difficult to include her in activities with my family due to fear she would say something inappropriate to my sister in law and my nieces, based on their dark skin color and Belle’s paranoia.  It became difficult to leave Belle alone in a room for any length of time, for a variety of reasons.  It was difficult to find family to sit with her.  It was just us.

Chapter Twenty Five-Alzheimers Story Monday, Dec 7 2009 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers

Chapter Twenty Five

Susan and her husband disappeared from our resources as helpers. We were disappointed at their behavior and at the suddenness of the departure. The break was so complete that Susan failed to call Belle or give her a card on Mother’s day that year and did not have contact with her or us for almost six months.  Scott was a mixture of emotions regarding this situation.

We created routines for almost all activities involving Belle, so we could tag team our way through the mornings and evenings and ensure her needs were taken care of.  Since she tended to cooperate with Scott with more ease than she did with me, Scott continued to be point man for most issues regarding Belle.  Along with getting her ready to go in the morning, he handled the day to day delivery of her to day care and we shared the afternoon retrieval of Belle from day care.  Scott kept his routine of walking off his frustrations on the jogging paths downtown several times a week, and on those days, I picked her up.

Although Belle had been physically with us at least half of the time prior to Susan’s departure, the room she used as hers was our guest room.  With the transition to full time residence, we moved her bedroom furniture into our guest room.  Her belongings were placed in the room and I decorated her bedroom walls with her family pictures from her previous room, using the same plate rack holders, so Belle could continue her habit of moving items around.  I incorporated some of Belle’s collectible and family items, ones I thought she might recall, into our décor in the main living areas in an attempt to display to her our home was her home.

Since she was no longer able to take care of herself, we determined that her house would need to be sold and we started working on that project along with adjusting to full time care for Belle.  Scott and I shifted through furniture and belongs, determining what should be kept for use, what should be packed, and what needed to be given to others in the family or sold.  A time frame was established for sale of the house and the furniture was divided up between those family members that wanted it or that Belle had designated should receive it.   The issue in the yard that had caused the house to flood with run off water needed attention and Scott coordinated the needed correction.  Other repairs, some of which were to correct the ‘decorating’ Susan had completed on the house before moving, were scheduled and completed.

During the months that followed, we asked as needed for assistance from our available resources, some of which could help with Belle and some of which could help with the sale of the house.  We asked the real estate friend that had helped with the purchase of her city home so many years ago to help sell this house. We engaged my parents more in the process and they assisted us when we asked. Mom helped pack and Dad waited at the house for service people for needed repairs.   We asked for more assistance from Chuck and his family and they would take Belle for a day or Chuck would stop by for an evening and sit with her.  This assistance continued after the sale of the home. We asked for more assistance from Cooper and Deacon.  Cooper was more removed from the situation due to not living at home with us but he assisted with sitting with Granny on some occasions at our home.  During the transition period and during their time sharing the upstairs of our home,  Deacon was invaluable with his assistance with Granny.  They maintained a good relationship throughout and his easy going manner allowed him to work well with her without much display of frustration.

Although she had been living with us half of the time before the full time move in, the move to full time was confusing for her as she still believed she really lived next door.  After dinner in the evenings, Belle would push back from the table and announce it was time for her to go home, she had things to do.  We would gently explain she lived with us now and she would pretend to recall this, often repeating she did not want to be a burden.   And each night the scene would be repeated time and time again.  She was upset the day we arrived home from picking her up from day care and the ‘for sale’ sign had been placed in the yard.  She asked repeated why the sign was in her yard.

Belle became skilled at ‘sneaking’ away from our house and attempting to break into ‘her’ house, fully believing she had somehow managed to lock herself out.  Since normal access between the houses while Belle had lived next door was through the gate in the backyard which Scott had now removed, Belle would often make her way into the back yard and then be confused as to why she couldn’t get to her house.  After she managed to leave our house though the front door without being noticed a time or two, we placed bells on all our doors so we hear the door open if she tried to leave the house when we were not in the room to see her leave.    While her house was still on the market, if she insisted she lived next door, we would unlock the house for her and show her it was empty, once again explaining she lived with us and why.  After it sold and the new owners moved in, we spoke with them regarding Belle’s behavior, on the off chance she would try to break into the house or be found in their backyard.  We reminded her she lived with us each time she tried to return to the house next door or commented on going home. Eventually, she stopped trying to sneak away and go home, although we left the bells on the doors in place so she couldn’t open a door without us knowing about it.

Despite everything and her reduces abilities, Belle still had the ability to surprise me.  May of that year was nice and warm and Belle and I spent some of the early evenings sitting on the front porch swing, watching the neighborhood until Scott would arrive home from his evening exercise.   Sometimes we talked and sometimes we didn’t.  One conversation during this time frame still sticks with me.  As we sat on the swing, Belle once again, said ‘I think I’ll head on home’ and once again I reminded her she lived with us now.  She gave it some thought, frowning slightly and I explained (again) that the house had been sold, that she lived with us, and that she needed some assistance with daily activity like her medications.  I also explained to her that I understood she had problems understanding time and specifically how much time has passed regarding the events leading up to that day.  I stated that I thought losing time in this manner must be difficult.  Belle looked me in the eye, held my gaze for a few seconds and said it was more than difficult, is was frightening.

Her statement was emphatic. This moment was one her of rare moments when she was present.  It stressed for me that there were times when she understood the extent of the decline of her abilities.    Those times did not happen very often and were very fleeting.  After her statement, we sat in silence for a brief moment.  Then Belle turned to me, smiled and inquired “how about we head over to my house?”  And I again explained she lived with us.

A day or two later, after arriving home and heading into the house, Belle grabbed my hand and insisted I accompany her back outside.  She kept tugging on my hand and began leading me toward the front door.  When I followed without resistance, she led me into the front yard, pointed to the survey stakes in her front yard and demanded to know why those stakes were in her yard.  She understood what the survey stakes were and understood that their presence meant the house had been sold.  And she demanded to know why her house was surveyed.  So I told her again.

It was often difficult to know what she would be able to understand and what she could not understand.  It was almost impossible to assume she would not understand something and we found ourselves explaining thing to her in detail hoping this would be the time she understood.  During this period in her decline, she had days when repeated explanation or instructions were required to accomplish the simplest tasks.   Alternatively, she had days when she existed without questioning the activity around her.  She did not question why she needed help getting dressed or undressed, did not question why she needed help taking a shower, did not question wearing protective undergarments, and did not question going to day care.  On these days, she did what she was told to do to the best of her ability obviously not understanding very much of it.   As the first months stretched on, we perfected the routines that centered on her care and time tables.  I continued to use my tricks and methods to gain her corporation in Scott’s absence and will admit to, on more than one occasion, resorting to threatening to tattle to Scott on her to gain her full attention or corporation.  If she recalled anything at all, it was that she did not want to disappoint Scott.

After the bulk of the larger items had been distributed to family members, one of my remaining jobs was sort through the paper of her life and determine if it needed to be kept, and if it needed to be kept, by whom.  Maybe ‘needs’ is a strong word, as some of the items were sentimental, but did not ‘need’ to be kept.  The items I determined would be of interest to others would be given to them. They made the final decision if it is important enough for them to keep.

As with many members of their generation, Belle and Jim kept everything they ever received, I swear.  Cards, letters, notes, clippings, locks of hair, scrapbooks, you name it, and they had it.  I read through quite a few of the various items while sorting them and contact with this level of personal belongings provided me with insight into Belle, her decline, her relationship with Jim and the family dynamic as a whole.  Most of what I read made me feel distressed for Belle.

Throughout their marriage, in almost every instance of Belle writing to Jim, whether in card or letter form, she seemed to be begging for Jim’s attention, gushy with love and innuendo that did not fit the sophisticated facade she had crafted for herself.  This tone became worse during time frames that featured infidelity.   Jim, of course, was not interested in voiced emotion and was very sparing with nice or reassuring things to say. I felt saddened to know this intimate side of their lives, but felt it gave me a better understanding of her.

As I sorted through her things, I also began to see signs of her decline to come in her cards and letters of the past. Based on the extra ‘notes’ she has written in and on some of items, it was also evident she spent much of her time when home by herself, sorting through this memorabilia and trying to remember.  She made notes in shaky handwriting that was obviously added later and, most of the time, getting whatever was written on the item wrong.  Since time is one of the things she could no longer grasp (it was one of the first things to go) notes about when something happened, written over the note made at the time, could not be replied upon.  In the process of trying to remember and reviewing the papers and mementos Belle had actually ruined some lovely sentimental items by writing all over them with wrong information.   Reviewing her notes to herself and her notes on personal items, leads me to believe she was at home by herself longer than she should have been.  She was experiencing more difficulties than we had believed at the time, a problem I feel is common when family members are trying to assess the abilities of a mentally disabled parent.

Belle had pictures of her parents, siblings, children, spouse and grandchildren that were not organized in a way we could use to sit with her and “recall”.   As I sorted through many of these items, I decided it might be nice to create a memory book for Belle that included the pictures of her family.  I started gathering pictures and came up with a plan for creating two memory or picture books for her.  The first book focused on her grandparents, parents, and siblings and the second book focused on her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.   I made sure as I pieced the books together that I labeled each picture with all the information I had available to me.  As an example, if a picture of a grandchild was displayed, I listed their full name, nickname, age in the picture, birth date and parents.  If I included an old picture that Belle had written info on the back, I placed that information on the page with the picture.  When the books were completed, Belle enjoyed  flipping through them.  At times it seemed that the books seemed to help her recall specific items briefly.  Often if Belle had a family visitor, the books would be used to spur conversation with Belle, allowing the family member to visit with her, even if that visit was in the past.  Since her ability to have meaningful conversation no longer existed, the books were often the catalyst to a pleasant visit or evening.  We spent any an afternoon or evening slowly turning pages, looking at pictures with Belle reminiscing to the best of her ability.

Not long after coming to live with us, Belle developed a habit of telling Scott she was going to ‘whoop’ him, with the accompanying hand motion for spank, if he didn’t behave.  Her statement could pop out at any time, but normally accompanied him directing or assisting her in some manner.  She went so far as to swat him on his behind a time or two in conjunction with her statement.   The first few times Scott thought this situation was funny, but when she repeated this action several times a day for days in a row, he found it difficult to accept.  Scott was no longer a little boy and Belle was no longer functioning as his mother.   Scott and I began to have more conversations regarding his grief at the loss of his mother.  Belle may be present with us, but the mother he grew up with no longer existed.

Chapter Twenty Four-Alzheimers Story Wednesday, Dec 2 2009 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers

Chapter Twenty Four 

Belle’s day care attendance solved the day time issues that were created when she stayed home without assistance.  Susan was thrilled that she could come home to a house that was just as she left it.  The reasons that had created the need to lock up the garage (with the refrigerator in it), the hall bathroom and Susan’s bedroom not longer existed during a normal work day.  Objects no longer moved from one location to another or disappeared completely.  I was relieved that the need to race home when Belle could not be reached by phone or viewed online no longer existed. We shut down the living room camera and viewing website, as it was no longer needed.  We felt relieved and confident that Belle was safe during the day and that she was well taken care of at the day care facility.  With the exception of while she slept, Belle was rarely alone.

Belle adjusted well to the new routine of attending day care.  On the trip to the facility in the mornings, she often commented about heading off to work or how much work she had to do that day. When picked up in the afternoon, she might comment on how much she had accomplished at work that day.  She liked being ‘busy, busy, busy’. And the facility kept her busy with activities such as jewelry making, painting, and other arts and crafts projects.  She took naps if she was tired, and on pretty days, enjoyed short walks outside in the fenced in recreation area.  In the afternoons, it was common practice for all the attendees to sit in a circle and enjoy music or talk, with a care giver facilitating to ensure all that could join in did so. At times, it seemed that she was reluctant to leave at the end of the day.

Scott and I discussed how well things seemed to be going, and were relieved at Belle’s smooth adjustment to the new routine.  Then, with a large problem solved, another problem appeared.  Susan, who carried the majority of the responsibility for getting Belle to and from day care, had to maintain a more rigid daily schedule to drop Belle off in the mornings and pick her up in the afternoons than she was accustomed to maintaining.  Her life included more spur of the moment activities that she felt she could no longer engage in.  Susan began to ask Scott to pick Belle up in the afternoons, sometimes with notice, so we could plan for it, and sometimes without notice, if a spur of the moment activity was available.  Scott and I stepped in as needed, but Susan resented having to ask for assistance.  Susan voiced her frustration with the situation and Scott agreed to be the responsible party on set days of the week, allowing Susan more latitude with her evenings.  On these days, Belle would normally stay with us through the evening.  Oftentimes Scott would call Susan and offer to pick Belle up one his non scheduled days.   If he wasn’t able to pick Belle up on his scheduled days or was delayed for any reason, I became the responsible party.

Although at this point Belle seemed to have no problem recalling Scott and Susan and how they were related to her, I was one of the first of the family to be lost to Belle.  She seemed to know, most of the time, that she should know me, or that I was attached to Scott in some way, but often who I was and certainly my name was not recalled.  So, on days when I picked her up, I had to ensure I called her name when I entered the room and mentioned things that she recalled so that she would leave with me.  The most common method used to generate comfort for Belle so she would not resist leaving with me was to mention I was there to pick her up to take her to Scott.  She had no problem leaving with me if that was our destination.   My favorite way of ensuring she was comfortable leaving with me was to mention our favorite place to stop on the way home.  So often after calling her name, I would tell her we had a stop to make at the little local hamburger joint for a chocolate shake.  The care givers at the facility, who knew we often did this, would ooohhh and ahhhh and Belle would clap her hands. Then we’d order chocolate shakes at the drive thru and enjoy the cold drink on the way home.    She always enjoyed my bribe, sipping thru the straw until the empty cup noises echoed in the car.

Susan’s discontent and frustration with her responsibility level regarding Belle was on the rise.  Her distress was more than just the limits placed on her for dropping off and picking up Belle on a daily basis and her frustrations began to break through in the manner and tone she used with Belle when Belle was confused, failed to follow directions or failed to recall.  As Susan became increasingly abrupt with Belle, Belle was less likely to cooperate and the situation would often lead to an increased level of frustration for both of them.  Scott was increasingly distressed at the verbally rough treatment Belle received from Susan and began voicing his concerns strongly to me and in passing to Susan.  The caregivers at daycare mentioned on several occasions that Susan could be gruff with Belle when it did not seem warranted. Scott also noticed occasions when Susan was physically demanding when trying to force Belle into shower or when trying to get Belle to obey an instruction.  He began to worry that Susan could not handle the situation and that Belle was declining at a faster rate due to the treatment she received. Scott spoke with Susan a time or two about his concerns, and things would improve for a time, but would slide back quickly to displays of frustration.  This concern was a major issue for Scott and we discussed it frequently.  He began to consider terminating the living arrangements currently in place for the house next door.

As it had generally been our practice to disagree on most topics concerning Susan, I was concerned when he began repeated discussion of the situation next door and his unhappiness about the treatment Belle was receiving.  Scott and Susan had always been close and regardless of the situation, Scott typically protected and defended Susan, even when, in my view, the protection and defense was not warranted.   My relationship with Susan had its rough spots and I could be harsh in my assessments of her and her lifestyle.   Therefore Scott and I rarely discussed Susan or her activities because it was almost certain we would disagree.   When Scott started discussing with me his concerns regarding Susan and her care of Belle, I tried to provide reasonable, balanced assessment of the situation, although I began to fear the arrangement might be coming apart.    Based on my conversations with Scott, it was my perception that Susan felt taken advantage of, even through she had suggested she could care for her mother and had signed on to the task of her own accord.  Scott felt Susan was taking her frustrations out on Belle, and that the overall atmosphere in the house was not advantageous for Belle.

Scott and Susan began to disagree on how Belle should be handled and on the financial arrangements regarding ownership of the house.  Scott understood her frustration, but felt that Belle did not deserve nor was it good for her to deal with undesired treatment. In an attempt to provide relief for Susan in the hope of improving her treatment of Belle, Scott began stepping in, taking on more physical responsibility for Belle on evenings and weekends.   Although Belle spent quite a bit of time with us already, her time with us increased to a new level. Our spare bedroom became her home away from home as she stayed with us for longer and longer periods of time, even if Susan was home. In addition to increased evening and weekend stays, Belle lived with us whenever Susan and her husband vacationed.  Susan worked as a travel agent, which afforded her the opportunity to travel cheaply and often.  Susan and her husband took many short hop weekend trips and at least two overseas trips during the time they lived next door.

The beginning of the end of the arrangement for the care of Belle next door occurred in November 2001.  Our area experienced 14 inches of rain in 3 hours and many of the local streets flooded along with many homes.  Our home had some rain run off water issues in the past and Scott made it home from work in time to trench around our house and prevent the run off water from entering our home.  Belle’s house had not, to our knowledge, experienced any issues of this nature, so no effort was made to check on it until Scott had completed the trenching for our home.  Once he checked on Belle’s house, it was determined that the garage and living room contained water.  Susan’s husband arrived home and together they placed the furniture up on blocks of wood and canned goods to keep the furniture out of the water.  Then they went outside and began trenching around the house to keep more advancing water from gaining entry into the house.

The growing disagreement pertaining to who had ownership rights to the house, including the rights to redecorate the living areas of the home or repair the house in general blazed after the flood.  Susan and her husband had always wanted to make the house their own, while we had resisted any changes, trying to keep what was familiar to Belle in place.  Susan wanted to move into the master bedroom and wanted a bigger say in how the home was decorated.  However, as in the past when she had not had the funds for essential repairs to replace the air conditioning unit or the water heater when they had needed replacement (and which had fallen financially on Belle), Susan lacked the funds for any repairs, such as replacing the carpeting damaged in the flood.  Scott, acting on Belle’s behalf, felt that accepting financial responsibility for the house would provide the decorating rights and control of the house, and it appeared that Susan and her husband were not able and/or willing to accept full responsibility for the house if money was involved.   In the aftermath of the flood, to keep the peace, Scott relented a bit and Susan took control of the decorating of the main living areas of the house.  He remained steadfast on the master bedroom issue and did not allow Belle to be moved into another bedroom.   Some of the living area changes made did not sit well with Scott because they upset Belle.  However, he did not intervene, allowing Susan to redo the living areas of the house as she pleased.  But the shaky underpinning of the house arrangements along with the core of Susan’ frustration regarding her responsibilities with Belle, created a emotional slide that eventually led to the demise of the living arrangements created for the protection of Belle.

In March 2002, four months after the flood, Susan announced without preamble that she and her husband had purchased a home to be built in a new subdivision and would be moving out when it was finished.  She estimated this would occur in July.   She claimed they would stay involved with Belle, and that a room at the new house would be available for Belle to visit, but that she would no longer be living under her mom’s roof and be involved in the daily care of her mother.  Scott and Susan briefly discussed a shared living arrangement for Belle, with the possibility of Belle spending half her time with us and half with Susan but nothing ever came from the discussions, which was not surprising to us.  Scott and I were taken aback at the events, mainly because there had been no mention of the possibility of moving and Susan was supposed to be working toward purchasing the house she and her husband shared with Belle.  Although the suddenness was a surprise, we had felt that something was up over the previous month or two and now we knew what it was.  Scott had been increasingly morose about how things next door had been progressing, and we had discussed on several occasions removing Belle from their care.   So, with the July timeline in mind, Scott and I began discussing alternatives regarding Belle’s care.   The initial plan was to move her in with us full time, and continue her day time day care.  We were in the process of a kitchen remodel that should be complete by July and we should be ready to take on Belle full time in our home.

Less than a month later, Susan and her husband sublet a furnished apartment and moved out of Belle’s house.  Susan told us of their decision and move, and that they would no longer be caring for Belle when we saw them loading their belonging to move them into storage.  As she loaded her belongs, Susan commented that taking care of Belle “wasn’t what she had planned for her life”.  Once again taken aback by the suddenness of the event, we reacted by immediately moving Belle into our spare bedroom.  So, now, in additional full time financial responsibility for Belle, we assumed full time physical care of her.

Chapter Twenty Three-Alzheimers Story Wednesday, Dec 2 2009 

But I Already Have My Lipstick On:  Our story of dealing with Alzheimers

Chapter Twenty Three

The statistics I’ve heard say that the average Alzheimer’s patient lives for ten years after diagnosis.  Although we felt Belle’s confirmation was late due to her original doctor failing to run even the simplest of tests, we were still 4 years into a 10 year situation.  Belle’s financial situation was strained and we were concerned about having enough money to pay for her care when we could no longer manage her personally.  So, when we decided that the decline in her abilities and her increasing need of assistance with personal function had reached the point that she could not be home all day without assistance, we started researching Alzheimer’s oriented resources for daytime assistance.  We needed someone who could spend time with Belle during the day, ensure she ate, and assist her in the bathroom in case of an accident, as Belle’s bladder control issue had advanced to the point of full time protection.

We were disappointed to find that there were very little affordable or other types of assistance available.  The church Belle had been attending since the 1970’s as a charter member offered no programs to assist elderly members in this manner.  Other kinds of elderly assistance were not designed for individuals with Alzheimer’s and the cost made it prohibitive for daily assistance anyway.  We finally located an elderly assistance program with an Alzheimer’s focus we felt she could afford a few days a week.  It was designed with a situation like Belle’s in mind and was a small local business.  The paid helper could arrive mid morning, make sure Belle was up, make sure she ate her lunch, assist in the bathroom if needed and interact with her.  We decided to give this a try.

Belle became upset each time we mentioned she might need personal assistance.  We had tried to discuss this situation with her previously, outlining some of the issues and gently mentioning the support provided by those all around her but she was completely against personal assistance and the discussion itself would cause a bad day.  She knew she wasn’t all she used to be and would repeatedly state she did not want to be a burden.  From her point of view it seemed that receiving outside assistance caused her think of herself as a burden.  The level of support being provided to her from family was beyond her ability to understand. But to minimize her fear and therefore the impact on her function, we decided that we would get the helper in the house by saying the helper was there to help clean the house.  This little fabrication worked.  Belle agreed we could give this idea a try because she was having difficulty keeping up with all that needed to be done.  (Not that it needs to be said, but Belle wasn’t doing any housework during the day.) Scott and Susan made sure they were at the house for the first time the helper, a very nice older Hispanic lady, was to stay. The first few visits went smoothly, with Belle enjoying the company and assistance.  We were cautiously optimistic about the future success of our plan.

Although the helper was able make sure Belle ate her lunch and Belle seemed to enjoy the additional interaction, as the visits continued, Belle was upset each time the helper sat down or wasn’t cleaning something.  Belle did not trust her and would complain to Scott she was sure the helper was the reason things around the house were missing.  As Belle’s distrust of the helper increased, Belle started being uncooperative, refusing to eat lunch, or refusing assistance when a bladder control incident occurred. It was soon apparent that this opportunity we had hoped would be the answer to the problem of daytime care for Belle was not going to work out.  We had begun to discuss what our next step would be when the helper suffered a major illness and was no longer able to assist.  After much discussion, it was decided we would not attempt to introduce another helper into the situation and that we would look for another alternative for daytime assistance. We had used the service for about three months.

Another elderly assistance program, an adult day care that was funded by the state, had an opening on the north side of town.  Susan had located this program prior to attempting the in home assistance and was wholly in favor of Belle’s attendance. Scott and Susan went to visit it, reviewed the cost as it was not free for Belle and decided to give it a try. Although most of the people attending the facility were not full time, Belle would be there each day while we were all at work.  Susan worked downtown and the facility was not too far from her employment.  She would drop her off and pick her up each day. Belle started attending daily adult day care in the summer of 2001.

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