On how to age better with dementia, translated…
My mother-in-law had always been optimistic, and amicable with others. In her eighties, she’d still jam-packed her schedules, very independent. But, after a typhoon had flooded her home, the family started noticing how she’d shown deterioration in her memories, and would suspect that someone is stealing money from her, taping up the windows, hoarding her medication, along with she’d gotten angered more and more easily. And because she refused to be checked out at the hospitals, she didn’t get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease two years later after she’d broken her leg from a fall and was hospitalized.
In the thirteen-year progression of her illness, she’d deteriorated in her cognitive abilities, as well as in the physical aspects of her life, along with having problematic behaviors too. Gladly, my older sister-in-law and I since my mother-in-law was diagnosed, got ourselves involved in the support groups. So, in the challenges of caretaking, we were able to learn to cope with her behaviors more positively, the following are the notes from my experiences.
At the earliest stages, we’d encouraged her to write calligraphy and the rhymes she’s good in reciting, then, posted her writings onto the walls, to share it with others. And, we’d accompanied her to the arts courses, cooking, and physical ability classes too, to keep her brains and her body stimulated; when she’d become severely demented, we’d made sure she stayed involved in the activities, and we were there, to offer her the assistance as she’d needed. At the same time, we’d saved her writings onto the computers, enlarged the font size, and printed it out, laminating it, so she can still get the read-aloud time. As she’d become severely demented, we’d capture shots of her daily life using our cell phones, especially the plants in the gardens, so we can have a common interest to build on. And, buying a doll that resembles a lifelike baby, to call out her maternal instincts. At this stage, life or going to the activities, she’d had slip ups, the dolls, or the stuffed animals or the photos on the cell phones, were all used effectively, to divert her attention when she’s having a bad day.
And, keeping her to a regular schedule, physical rehab, getting her to remain active physically, shopping or buying the groceries, saying hello to kids or people whom she passed by, are all ways that can help lighten up her mood, and reduce anxieties. Although the Alzheimer patients’ memories are losing by the day, but, even as the disease progressed to the more severe stages, there would still be some abilities that remained. My mother-in-law before she died, could still read, recite, even though she may not understand the meanings, and would read the words out of order. So long there’s no safety concerns, just allow them to do as they wished to, so they can feel free at whatever they’re doing. This sort of a good way of relating to those who are demented, can not only increase the meanings of life, it can also make caretaking much easier.
So, this, is a tip, from the caretakers, to just allow the demented elderly to act as s/he wishes to, so long as s/he doesn’t hurt her/himself and others, after all, at this later stage in life, isn’t it more important, that the elderly population live happily, instead of according to the norm, the rules of society??? Exactly, so, stop keeping track of ALL the nitty-gritty details and just let them be already!!!
Life, the Obstacle Course 