If my sister is by herself she will have a coffee & a " cigarette "not good! !I My home Yes! My sister lives alone -- If she is visiting me she eats if I Put it in front of her.
Her coordination is terrible-- one thing I have learned Do not give an Alzheimer patient a clear or white cup-- they can't see it they tend to spill their glass of water.
My son worked with Alzeimer patients & could not wear a white shirt -- they only see your head .It to them looks like the head is floatingif your wearing white ! I never knew that ! So now when she visits I give her a green cup. to drink milk, water, tea, or coffee.If I give her a plate of food she puts it to the right of the placemat.Cutting her food is a challange for her.She should be in a home -- but no one is telling her to move!! Great!! :( I do have POA over her well being .I have a meeting with the socisl worker & physical theripist this fri.See what can be done??
I had not been aware though that AZ sufferers cannot see water, thank You Marymember for that information. This explains why I have been finding it impossible to get Mom to take a shower. As for smoking in Your home, it has to be a definite NO. Put up signs everywhere : thank You for NOT smoking : Id much rather die from natural causes.
What you can do is educate yourself on the stages of dementia and some safe bathing options. This site has tons. Some people need a full shower if there has been a bladder/bowel accident. Others can do with half washes each day. One day is the top, the next day is the bottom. Sometimes it's sponge baths. Get the doctor to order home health services for bathing help. Don't totally undress the person and leave them uncovered. Only uncover what you are washing. Use warm towels to keep covered in the shower. Make sure the room is super extra warm. Search this site for the words shower help.
The mechanics of loading a fork and getting it to your mouth is difficult with cognitive decline. At some point there will be trouble coordinating the muscles used to chew and swallow. Early on, taste buds change radically, so old favorite foods aren't so good anymore.
Vision changes make it hard to aim and hit your mouth. Brain changes can shift focus and perspective, making it really easy to miss the plate.
An occupational therapist can do an eating evaluation to figure out what to do & how. Solving the wrong problem won't help.
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