Dear Mary,
A few weeks ago you recommended carrying business sized cards that alert wait staff to the fact that a loved done has dementia. I would like you and your readers to know that the Alzheimer’s Association will provide them to caregivers free of charge.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for setting the record straight. I neglected to mention this very valuable resource. The
Alzheimer’s Association can be reached at 1-800-443-2273 or on the web at www.alz.org.
Dear Mary,
Please help me. My dear husband had a stroke two months ago and is ready to come home from the rehabilitation center. Although I miss him terribly, the thought of taking care of him scares me to death. His left side is paralyzed and he needs a lot of assistance transferring and with his daily hygiene. The facility staff has been wonderful in showing me how to help him but I’m frozen by the fear of him falling. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Dear Reader,
Set up an appointment with the discharge planner and request that Home Health services like physical and occupational therapy be initiated. Also request a home health aide be included to help with personal care. Although they will only stay a short time, their presence will help you gain confidence. I also suggest you hire someone privately to fill in the gaps as needed. There are many good home care agencies in the area as well as the Department of Aging and Disabilities’ Respite Care Referral Program. Use these services not only for your husband but for you, too. Even though you will have more confidence as time goes on, you need to plan weekly respite periods to renew and reenergize you.
Dear Mary,
It’s 2:30 in the morning and I’m at the computer writing to you. My husband has Alzheimer’s disease and his days and nights are all mixed up. Right now he’s rummaging around in his room, other times he insists on getting dressed and going to work. I know this is a phase but I’m exhausted. How do I get him back to bed without an argument?
Dear Reader,
Obviously, gentle reminders haven’t worked so you may have to tell a loving lie like, “Today is Sunday and the office is closed.” You can also suggest he have a cup of tea (decaffeinated!) and a cookie with you and then calmly mention it’s getting late and time to go to bed.
If these suggestions don’t work, call the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline at 1-800-272-3900. There is someone available 24-hours a day to help with exactly these kinds of situations.
Dear Mary,
I hope this one will make you laugh. As best I can reconstruct around 4:00 - 4:30 one morning my mother, who has no concept of time, used her cell phone from a Florida hospital to call my brother and possibly my nephew, too. Using speed dial she inadvertently connected to 911 and proceeded to talk to them in Hungarian. They in turn scrambled to find a translator who said she was telling them her leg hurt. Somehow they were able to contact my brother in Virginia to ask where they should send an ambulance. He told them she was already in a hospital and gave them my number (I was staying at her home) to find out which one. I in turn called the hospital and all was well with Mother after a dose of Tylenol. Sometimes you just gotta laugh!
Dear Reader,
Yes, indeed, and I did. Thank you for the chuckle of the day.
| 
