i am having such a wonderful time with the family.
We had a lovely Christmas Day with some very excited kids. That is so nice and something I have been missing so much. Throughout your life you tend to take so many things like this for granted until they are no longer there - saviour every moment as you travel through life, you never know what is around the corner.
I am so loving being with all the family and not feeling alone. I always try to see things through the 'glass half full mentality'. I know this is not always easy but there is always changes going on and we need to adapt.
I must admit it has taken a few days but I am starting to feel more relaxed. Yesterday someone gave me a back massage and boy could I feel the tension leaving me. That will be my New Year's resolution - have regular massages to relieve some of my stress rather than let it build up.
I wish everyone a great festive season..
Friday, December 25, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
Excited
George went into respite today. He was quite relaxed about it. For the past week I have been talking about it to him and ensured he understood what was happening. Luckily some people he knows from His club are also in there. He also has people going in to see him.
Came home and got into my packing and doing some tidying up. Just on finished packing and am feeling so excited about seeing others in my family.
Initially I felt guilty about going at Xmas but I realise that other members of my family miss out with me having Mum And George to care for. This will be the first year without Mum and so it is so nice (and would be very important to Mum) that so many of her family are together this Christmas.
Came home and got into my packing and doing some tidying up. Just on finished packing and am feeling so excited about seeing others in my family.
Initially I felt guilty about going at Xmas but I realise that other members of my family miss out with me having Mum And George to care for. This will be the first year without Mum and so it is so nice (and would be very important to Mum) that so many of her family are together this Christmas.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Second time lucky?
Not too sure about that...
Yesterday it was pretty hot. When George arrived home from his club he was hot and tired. I had been rushing around all day. Had not expected this one but the rest home rang the night before wanting me to go in and do the admittance for the respite time. As George is pretty much the same as last time I felt it was a waste of time but...
Mine is not to reason why...
Anyway that took a couple of hours by the time I got there and then waited round for the nurse. No one else understands that you don't have the time to muck around.
When George arrived home he was obviously tired and I suggested he lie on the bed and have a 'nanny nap' before tea. He thought that was a great idea.
BIG MISTAKE!
Next thing he wanders back out. No trousers, no pull-ups!
I quickly cleaned him up and put on some pull-ups and trousers and sat him down in the lounge. I then raced through to the bedroom and found
Feces all over the comforter. Guess what I had to do then?
That is the second time in a fortnight he has taken his bottom half of clothes off. This is a new behaviour which I will need to watch for to stop it before it starts.
Yesterday it was pretty hot. When George arrived home from his club he was hot and tired. I had been rushing around all day. Had not expected this one but the rest home rang the night before wanting me to go in and do the admittance for the respite time. As George is pretty much the same as last time I felt it was a waste of time but...
Mine is not to reason why...
Anyway that took a couple of hours by the time I got there and then waited round for the nurse. No one else understands that you don't have the time to muck around.
When George arrived home he was obviously tired and I suggested he lie on the bed and have a 'nanny nap' before tea. He thought that was a great idea.
BIG MISTAKE!
Next thing he wanders back out. No trousers, no pull-ups!
I quickly cleaned him up and put on some pull-ups and trousers and sat him down in the lounge. I then raced through to the bedroom and found
Feces all over the comforter. Guess what I had to do then?
That is the second time in a fortnight he has taken his bottom half of clothes off. This is a new behaviour which I will need to watch for to stop it before it starts.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Don't ask why
The other day, when we got home from George's club, I was tidying up and getting things ready for tea and the evening caregiver.
Suddenly I became aware that water was running somewhere. I went to investigate and found George in the bathroom. In the shower ( which he had turned on ) was his pull-ups, his trousers and his socks.
He was standing in the bathroom watching.
I turned off the shower, got the stuff off the shower floor and put into the rubbishy or washing machine. I cleaned him up and got him dressed.
We then sat and talked about some photos until he was ready to look through his books. Once settled I then finished off the tea.
I have learnt not to ask George what he is doing or why as he really has no idea.
By quizzing all you will do is make the person more confused or upset, best just to with it and move on.
Suddenly I became aware that water was running somewhere. I went to investigate and found George in the bathroom. In the shower ( which he had turned on ) was his pull-ups, his trousers and his socks.
He was standing in the bathroom watching.
I turned off the shower, got the stuff off the shower floor and put into the rubbishy or washing machine. I cleaned him up and got him dressed.
We then sat and talked about some photos until he was ready to look through his books. Once settled I then finished off the tea.
I have learnt not to ask George what he is doing or why as he really has no idea.
By quizzing all you will do is make the person more confused or upset, best just to with it and move on.
Don't worry, be happy.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Achieving very little
This week I have had to change George's bed three times so far!!
One of the caregivers, I think, has poor eye sight so I have to go round after him as well, picking up clothes (and finding where he has dropped them). However George likes him which is important.
I do find that he gets very confused some days which makes life more difficult. Because I had to do things today which required being somewhere at a certain time (rather than work on his time) he just goes slower and slower and becomes more and more confused. He hates being hurried and I try not to do it although at times it is necessary. Really it takes me two or three times the amount of time as it does for other people. Today I asked him to sit at the table for tea - he wandered all over the place and did not know what I was talking about. In the end I had to take his hand and lead him to the table. Tomorrow he may be a bit better.
I find that the best way to deal with it is to lead him, gently, to where you want him to be.
Two other factors which may also be contributing to the confusion are:
One of the caregivers, I think, has poor eye sight so I have to go round after him as well, picking up clothes (and finding where he has dropped them). However George likes him which is important.
I do find that he gets very confused some days which makes life more difficult. Because I had to do things today which required being somewhere at a certain time (rather than work on his time) he just goes slower and slower and becomes more and more confused. He hates being hurried and I try not to do it although at times it is necessary. Really it takes me two or three times the amount of time as it does for other people. Today I asked him to sit at the table for tea - he wandered all over the place and did not know what I was talking about. In the end I had to take his hand and lead him to the table. Tomorrow he may be a bit better.
I find that the best way to deal with it is to lead him, gently, to where you want him to be.
Two other factors which may also be contributing to the confusion are:
- respite care coming up
- hot weather
Monday, December 7, 2015
Guardian angels
My poor guardian angels are working so hard at the moment. I am very tired and desperately in need of respite care, this starts on 19 December until 4 January. I really need it. I am making stupid mistakes! For example during the weekend I took George to my parents grave with some lovely roses to put on the grave. On the way we stopped to get petrol. After taking a photo of the grave we did a tour around and George was very happy to go out.
At 6.15 that night the phone rang and someone asked for me. They then told me that they had found my credit cards! I couldn't believe it! After getting petrol I put my card holder in the door of the car so George wouldn't get into it ( he takes everything ). It must have fallen out when we were there. As the caregiver was due to arrive for George I decided to leave him a note and then I would get home about the time he left! All went well except that I took the note with me, luckily George remembered a garbled version of what was happening.
Strangely I took a photo which showed the roses and car keys - not mine. I said to George we would need to go over the next day to get them and find out who they belonged to. As soon as I had the cards I went back to the cemetery to look for the keys but nothing was there. They definitely were not mine as I did not take them out of the car and they do not have that sort of key ring. So strange.
Last week I had George back at the doctors with a infection on his penis. Also dealt with wet bed and poo on the toilet floor, luckily these things are not as regular as they were.
At night, when George goes to bed he has a movie on and a red wine, he enjoys this. He enjoys his old movies, these are mainly ones which have a lot of singing in them, a favourite is High Society.
At 6.15 that night the phone rang and someone asked for me. They then told me that they had found my credit cards! I couldn't believe it! After getting petrol I put my card holder in the door of the car so George wouldn't get into it ( he takes everything ). It must have fallen out when we were there. As the caregiver was due to arrive for George I decided to leave him a note and then I would get home about the time he left! All went well except that I took the note with me, luckily George remembered a garbled version of what was happening.
Strangely I took a photo which showed the roses and car keys - not mine. I said to George we would need to go over the next day to get them and find out who they belonged to. As soon as I had the cards I went back to the cemetery to look for the keys but nothing was there. They definitely were not mine as I did not take them out of the car and they do not have that sort of key ring. So strange.
I wonder if my guardian angels tried with this photo to get me to go back and when that didn't work used a lovely woman (took her some wine on Sunday). Anyway I think that they have been working over time.
Last week I had George back at the doctors with a infection on his penis. Also dealt with wet bed and poo on the toilet floor, luckily these things are not as regular as they were.
At night, when George goes to bed he has a movie on and a red wine, he enjoys this. He enjoys his old movies, these are mainly ones which have a lot of singing in them, a favourite is High Society.
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