Sunday, September 30, 2012

Alzheimers Caregiver Just Let Them Do it


Several months after my great Alzheimer's caregiver idea, I received one of the biggest shocks of my Alzheimer's caregiver life. A shock that sent me into a tailspin like I had never experienced previously in my life -- it sent me to the edge of total despair.

Alzheimer's Caregiver Just Let Them Do it
Thomas Edison. They told
him he couldn't do it.
Almost every day I am reminded of one of the most important things I learned about Alzheimer's caregiving -- Just let them do it.

In my case, this refers to my mother Dotty. Dotty is deeply forgetful..


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When I first moved to Delray Beach I learned that at least once each day Dotty jumped in the car and went to the store to buy lottery tickets. I say at least once a day because Dotty often forgot that she had already gone to the store and gotten the lottery tickets for that day, so she jumped in the car and bought them again.

When I would try to explain this to her it was very painful. Even when I showed her the lottery tickets it was painful. She didn't believe me and the evidence didn't help.

Welcome to the world of Alzheimer's care giving. The standard and usual rules of communication do not apply.