The GOOD Stuff!!! The Really Good Stuff!
I know! I know! I know!!! Melli, where ya been all weekend??? I been... busy! I know I ignored you... I'm sorry! SOMEtimes real life just has to come FIRST! Period! But this has been GOOD! The UPS man came on Friday! (the Dryer Guy was supposed to come again -- but he's coming tomorrow instead! I don't really want to discuss that situation!) But the UPS man DID come! And he brought me a delivery from Amazon DOT com! (Jane, he did bring me Missy Tippens book - but I haven't had time to open it yet -- soon though... soon!) He brought me TWO books that have been VERY important in my life! One is called Keeping Busy... A Handbook of Activities for Persons with Dementia, by James R. Dowling, which is very good -- but aimed at persons working in a "group" environment. Nonetheless - it still gave me some excellent ideas that have just panned out beautifully!!! This book is 161 pages before the appendix and bibliography. I opened it Friday evening and had it completed in about 2.5 hours! Along with a Walmart shopping list!!! Saturday morning Mom & I got up, got the morning stuff done, went and had lunch and headed to Walmart! I purchased 40 dish clothes (five 8-packs for $2 each), about 25 pairs of socks for a buck a pop - in all different sizes, shapes, colors and patterns! (unfortunately all we wear at my house is plain white - not really good for "matching"). I also bought several lengths of rope or cord in various colors and dimensions. And then a bunch of "rings" in multitudinous colors. All of these things will be used for sorting, folding, UNknotting, stringing, etc! We've already discovered that Mom LOVES folding dish clothes!!! I do let her fold my towels too sometimes -- but she doesn't fold them uniformly and so stacking them is a bit of a problem... the clothes are great!!! (I have no intention of USING any of them -- I just want them AlWAYS ready to be folded at a moments notice! Same with the socks!) I also had her sorting pony beads for me yesterday -- kept her busy long enough for me to get a shower AND shave my legs!!! Whooooo hoooo! Oh! And I also bought a bunch of various magazines -- for use in playing games! Dennis and I played one with her this afternoon where I just made up a random list of 12 items. We each chose a magazine and looked through to see how many of the items we could find. The person who found the MOST won a cookie! Well... not really because I won and I didn't want a cookie. But if MOM had won, she would have got a cookie - and been VERY happy! LOL! Good grief - I've probably bored you ALL out of your minds by now -- but you just gotta understand HOW exciting this IS to me! My good friend Lazy Daisy had told me that ya gotta play games with 'em -- memory games and stuff -- but I looked all over the internet and really could not find ANY specific ideas on types of games that are appropriate. This book REALLY helped!!!
The other book is called The 36 Hour Day, by Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins. THIS book should be in the home of every single person who has a relative with Alzheimer's or ANY OTHER type of Dementia! This book is pure GOLD!!! It addresses every issue you can possibly think of regarding dementia and caring for a person with it! And it's written in such a way that it really opens your heart to what your poor little forgetful person is going through! I'm only maybe a third of the way through this one -- it's 352 pages long -- but already I would recommend it to anyone who deals even remotely with a person with dementia. I can see that this book will share space with my Bible, right beside my bed!Sooooo.... I know I didn't do a Sunday Seven this week --- but these two books have given me WAY more than 7 things to be thankful for!!! And I thank God for giving the authors the ability to put these books into words! WHAT a blessing!
posted by Melli at
10:26 PM
11 comment(s):
Well, that wasn't the thought in my mind when I was praying you'd receive help, but I'm glad it arrived! Now perhaps I should pray for occasional "free time" ....
By
Anonymous, at
3/09/2008 11:49 PM
Yes, I missed you. But I am so happy you are happy and MIL is happy. Glad you found those great books, Melli. New ideas to keep her busy so that you can blog and we can have you back
!
:)
By
MaR, at
3/10/2008 3:45 AM
Wow, Melli what you have done is great ! What a good idea to purchase all this stuff to keep mum busy ! I think memory training is completely useless for a Altzenheimer person because there is no memory any more but keep her busy with REAL things is a VERY GOOD idea !! That book indeed was good. Just let her fold and sort out things it keeps her busy and I am sure she likes it too. And meanwhile you can breath a little and do things for yourself !
By
Ingrid, at
3/10/2008 4:16 AM
Wow, what a wonderful gift...the gift of usefulness and purpose. You go girl! I'm sure you do feel like you've been putting in 36 hour days. So glad you found some help through these books. I'll recommend them to my friend. Gotcha all prayed up.
By
Lazy Daisy, at
3/10/2008 9:26 AM
A biggo Texas Howdy Do to you Melli! By this post you've been really doing great with what life has handed you. You go girl!! Your "I'm clueless" below is so sweet....poor woman. I feel sorry for her and her confused state of mind, don't you?
Sending not only "howdy do's" to you but a gentle hug too.
By
Hootin Anni, at
3/10/2008 12:19 PM
I was so very happy to read about this! It sounds like you've found some great resources that may give you a bit of a reprieve.
You know I'm praying for you!
Hugs,
Susan
By
Susan, at
3/10/2008 5:12 PM
I have the book, 36 hour day... I'm reading it as I can... now... I have a good many patients with Alzheimers and my dad exhibited so many signs in his last few months of life...
it is a great book....
To me, this is one of the hardest diseases out there...
Blessings my dear friend...
Connie
By
Connie Barris, at
3/10/2008 7:02 PM
I am so glad you have found these books! It sounds like they have so much to offer in ways of helping!
I didn't get one drop bored reading your post!! I found it interesting and helpful!! I wonder if 36 hours would be helpful for us? Love and hugs Grams
By
Talk..to..Grams, at
3/10/2008 10:01 PM
Quilly -- Well... I'm just glad that when we THINK we know what we need (or someone else needs) that the Lord always knows BETTER! So, just the fact that you prayed is the important thing! I'm SURE it helped! :)
Mar -- It's all that Mar! And SO much more!!!
Gattina -- the games aren't actually "memory training"... they are more like memory "triggering"... things like finishing very well known phrases or jingles... or matching old product brands with the item that they represent. Things like THAT -- all designed to make her FEEL successful!
LD DO share those titles - but I'll be REAL surprised if your friend doesn't already HAVE The 36 Hour Day - at least I hope somebody in the know has lead her to it LONG before now!
Anni -- Howdy back! Indeed, I DO feel sorry for her. Sometimes MORE than others.
Susan -- Thank you Babe! I always appreciate the prayers - and the prayERS!
Connie -- it IS one of the hardest ... mainly because they TRY you to the point that sometimes it's hard to even LIKE them - but you still have to LOVE them and take proper care of them!
Grams -- I have NO DOUBT that the book would be helpful for you! Thanks for stoppin' in!
By
Melli, at
3/11/2008 12:34 PM
That's great Melli. If mother lived in my house I would need to have something to keep her busy. The aide that is staying with her is doing a MARvelous job and I am SO thankful.
I can't wait to hear your take on Missy's book!
By
Jane, at
3/11/2008 5:44 PM
Those books sound great -- I need to check them out. My mil will be moving here this summer, and though she will be in an assisted living place, we will be visiting her or she will be here much of the time. I saw in an old issue of Focus on the Family's magazine a couple of books that looked good, too. One was A Caregiver's Survival Guide by Kay Marshall Strom. The other was Complete Guide to Caring for Aging Loved Ones.
By
Anonymous, at
3/11/2008 11:42 PM
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