Hi again,
Have a virus in my computer, and it kicked me out of blogspot twice. I lost some text and the Alz list. So attempting the list again:
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
February 8, 2011
Hi everybody,
We have a few new things going on with Gram. Over the past few weeks, she has had some difficulty from time to time with her mobility. She would be good one day and have some instability while walking on the next day. This past weekend, though, she had her most challenging days yet. She had trouble moving her feet to walk, and we had to prompt her, "right foot, left foot" to help her get going and to continue moving. She had a great deal of difficulty getting into Mary's car on Saturday. We always have her back into the car, sit down, then swing her legs in, to avoid having her stand on one leg during the process. On Saturday, she just could not back up close enough to the car to get her bumper safely on the seat. We had to restart many times, and physically prompt, too, before she made it. She seems to be having trouble coordinating motor functions, especially when they get a little complex. Walking and going down the front steps makes her uneasy and fearful of falling.
The motor troubles began about the time that we stopped using the memory meds. We wonder if restarting them will help her with her motor functioning. We are going to try that to see what happens.
Mom had a difficult night last night. She began to have anxiety, which is characterized by shallow, fast breathing, and a worried look on her face. We have had a med called Ativan for anxiety, which has worked pretty well. However, when she has anxiety at bedtime, we don't use it because she will be getting Tamazepam, a sleep aid, at that time. Previously, this strategy has worked well, but last night it did not. Mom continued to show symptoms of anxiety, and it was escalating. By 3 AM I gave her an Ativan, and by 4 AM she finally was able to settle down.
Today I contacted Hospice to ask if I should have given the Ativan at bedtime with the Tamazepam, and they have a message in to Dr. Ecklund. They will call us when they have an answer. They usually get an answer the same day; they seem to have a hotline to anyone we need, which is great.
Our hospice nurse forwarded an assessment for Alzheimer's patients, that lists functioning levels in the progression of the disease. I am going to attempt to paste it here or attach it so you can all see it. When you ask how Gram is, we have been able to describe what she is still able to do. Sometimes I have felt a little lost, because I wished I could know what to expect next. This assessment is not the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's information, it is just one tool that can be a part of.
We have a few new things going on with Gram. Over the past few weeks, she has had some difficulty from time to time with her mobility. She would be good one day and have some instability while walking on the next day. This past weekend, though, she had her most challenging days yet. She had trouble moving her feet to walk, and we had to prompt her, "right foot, left foot" to help her get going and to continue moving. She had a great deal of difficulty getting into Mary's car on Saturday. We always have her back into the car, sit down, then swing her legs in, to avoid having her stand on one leg during the process. On Saturday, she just could not back up close enough to the car to get her bumper safely on the seat. We had to restart many times, and physically prompt, too, before she made it. She seems to be having trouble coordinating motor functions, especially when they get a little complex. Walking and going down the front steps makes her uneasy and fearful of falling.
The motor troubles began about the time that we stopped using the memory meds. We wonder if restarting them will help her with her motor functioning. We are going to try that to see what happens.
Mom had a difficult night last night. She began to have anxiety, which is characterized by shallow, fast breathing, and a worried look on her face. We have had a med called Ativan for anxiety, which has worked pretty well. However, when she has anxiety at bedtime, we don't use it because she will be getting Tamazepam, a sleep aid, at that time. Previously, this strategy has worked well, but last night it did not. Mom continued to show symptoms of anxiety, and it was escalating. By 3 AM I gave her an Ativan, and by 4 AM she finally was able to settle down.
Today I contacted Hospice to ask if I should have given the Ativan at bedtime with the Tamazepam, and they have a message in to Dr. Ecklund. They will call us when they have an answer. They usually get an answer the same day; they seem to have a hotline to anyone we need, which is great.
Our hospice nurse forwarded an assessment for Alzheimer's patients, that lists functioning levels in the progression of the disease. I am going to attempt to paste it here or attach it so you can all see it. When you ask how Gram is, we have been able to describe what she is still able to do. Sometimes I have felt a little lost, because I wished I could know what to expect next. This assessment is not the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's information, it is just one tool that can be a part of.
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