Helen Wins The Non-Compliance Game

A good day right up until her pm medicine time so I could go home. Helen refused to take her Namenda. She knew exactly what she was doing and, as said, if she were my mom, a no-holds-barred knock-down-drag-out fight would have started right then and there and the medicine would have been taken. No such thing with Helen. First of all, she is not my mom and secondly, I have a certain mood with Helen which focusses on our common traits and I am not going to sacrifice it's ability facilitate compliance in other areas for one Namenda, although I am not above mortar and pestling one to slip into her food. All suggestions welcome. RC

6/23

Nothing much to report today. Helen cleaned her plate, took a long nap watched Gunsmoke in the morning and The Sting (following that crazy plot) in the afternoon and did not give me any trouble with her afternoon medications. A Good Day.

6/22 Tuesday

Okay. p.m. meds not given again. Helen scattered again upon arrival. Gave Namenda and will be giving pm medications before I go. The Aricept w/ the instructions "one a day" will now be given in the morning as I have seen do better with it given that way. Not like today when she changed or rearranged several articles of clothing 6 or 7 times. Same clothes, new "arrangements." This where "care, affection, and allowing harmless odd behaviors (harmless) go. Let her change clothes to her heart's content. To make a fuss over it would be challenging her perception of what she needs to do. Just don't do it for reasons I'll explain further. She got better after her afternoon Aricept and ended the day quite well. Got the kitchen floor clean and will get to the wooden floors as soon as I figure out what to use. Mop and Glo? Finally, Gunsmoke to the rescue again. It's like shooting in the dark trying to find movies whose plot she can follow for 2 hrs. which, as I type realize thats expecting too much. R.

thaynk yew maystr dillin

Day (Monday6/21) started out weird with Helen up and restless, then going through her cupboard showing me where things were kept. Either a mini-stroke or she's missed a med, I thought, hoping it was the latter. It was. I called her pharmacy and asked when the Aricept should be given since the only instructions were "one a day." So the big yellowish pill is in the night time part of the box now. I'll try and keep it full, but not all the way as Helen uses "oh, I've taken that already" when she hasn't and for all I know that's how she remembers it, but the pill box will allow whoever to show her that she hasn't.

Helen was very unfocussed and I tried Bonanza, then Rawhide w/o success. Gunsmoke to the rescue! She settled into Dodge with Matt, Chester, Miss Kitty and Doc and we watched it the rest of my stay. So, remember the healing powers of Gunsmoke if Helen gets skittish.

One of the things we all learn as babies is how to calm ourselves down when we're not. Then when we get old, we lose our calming reflex and can't calm ourselves down when we're not. I lose mine about three times a week. You?

5/17

As Helen gets more symptomatic, certain problems arise if one doesn't know they're there.

For instance, if any of you should say "I saw three raccoons on the deck this morning" two things will happen.

1. Helen will obsess about it all day

2. She will have totally forgotten all about it tomorrow.

Lesson: Watch what you introduce into a conversation, especially anything that would agitate her.

She will still forget it tomorrow, but you won't have to sit there and think up 30 different responses to "there were three raccoons on the deck this morning" the day of the raccoon mentioning.

Helen peaceful. Read most of the day.

5/16

Helen is showing more AZD symptoms (increased memory loss, in appropriate answers in conversation, backing off from tasks that require an exact sequence of actions [stove, personal hygiene, coffee maker] most of the time but not all of the time. She went to sleep with a lit cigarette in her mouth, is leaving opened but not drunk Boost bottles around the house. I got a real cussing out when I didn't buy the "Oh, I always take that before bed" and made her take it in my sight. At least she remembers some four-letter words. Appetite good, but then, Amy was cooking.

6/14 Birthday Girl

Helen was soooo very happy to have her birthday. I was sooo not very happy at her new habit of leaving open not drunk Boosts all over the place not letting me throw them away "Oh I'll drink those later." She is going out with Becky and/or Suzanne, depending on who you ask tonight to be wined and dined. All in all, a good day.

6/11/10

Told Helen that I am going to just "live there" or behave as if I were home and not sit over her like a big bird watching her every move. My room now is the upstairs bedroom.The hummingbird feeder leaks and I will have to get another as we have a few hummers now. Of course, Inspector Clousseau (sp) had a trail of sugar water from the porch to the sink soooo Helen's floor got a semi-mop job. Will dust-bust Monday. There may (or may not) be a problem remembering the steps involved to make coffee. It was 1/2 fixed and just left it with a wrong amount in the basket. I'll keep an eye on that. She is also getting more quiet, though will speak when spoken to.

6/10/10

Started of shopping gave medicine then went back to town for birdseed as Helen enjoys her birds very much. We both read for awhile. Fixed lunch (Rigatoni and Chicken-Stoffers-she likes that-it gives her a chance to eat the garlic toast-with milk, of course) She said "Ill eat the rest for dinner."

If you want her to eat, small portions are less intimidating to her. Read on the porch together. Birds are getting used to us, and some will feed with us not 4' away. Installed out own CD as the one I got at the pawn shop did not allow menu selections. I should have taken your advice, Amy. Our VCR is there too, ready to go when needed.