Caregiving Rodeo

I need to know what my loved one (LO) is up to--whether she's leaving the house, whether she has gone to the bathroom, whether she is getting into things.  A motion sensor in the bathroom lets me know whether she is in there or has been in there. During the wee hours of the night, I don't keep sound notifications on all the time but I can look at the history and see what's been going on during the night. Door sensors let me know whether she has opened an exterior door, which used to be critical although now I also have security latches on those doors (see other post). Still, the door sensors are a backup in case I leave a door unlatched. A security camera that shows the living room and the kitchen lets me peek in on my LO if she is prowling while I am in my room.  These devices are linked to an app on my cell phone. I can adjust the notifications on each device individually. From within the app, I can schedule notification to be off or on during set hours of the day.  We

So that I don't forget, here is a list of topics that I'll try to cover in other posts: latches on various things adapting the activities to suit the abilities (e.g., jigsaw puzzles) suitable shoes ADA compliant house for "aging in place" medications and supplements jobbing out some of the tasks information resources drivers license and state ID card weaning them off their credit cards, then cash getting all the legal documents done ASAP: PoA, etc.  If I think of some more, I'll add them.  Some more: bedtime stories warmed-up pajamas fidget blankets light therapy motion sensors

Putting name tags on your senior loved one can help avoid a Silver Alert. If someone finds your LO wandering, they or the police can simply contact you or escort your LO back home. We use a wristband from Road ID . The wristband just goes on while getting dressed for the day, and sometimes even stays on overnight. https://www.roadid.com/pages/shop-road-id You can put the Road ID tag onto a watchband or you can slide a watch onto the Road ID band. Or just use the Road ID tag by itself. They also have versions that attach to shoes or other things, but my LO is used to putting on a wristband.  You can put as much or as little information on the Road ID tag as you like. For example, you might want to put your loved one's condition on there. We opted to add "Memory Loss" after the phone number and address. If my LO ever asks, "What's this for?" I say, "It's in case of emergency." There are other companies that sell medical alert bracelets. Then, lab

I use Jiobit to keep track of my Loved One (LO). We have two Jiobit dongles--one for each pair of walking shoes.  Here is the website:  https://www.jiobit.com/personal-safety It requires a subscription, but I have found the service to be a great peace of mind.  You can track your LO through an app on your smart phone. The Jiobit clip-on dongle needs recharging every now and then. It comes with a charging dock. The gadgets that depend on Bluetooth are just not as powerful or accurate.  Being able to track your LO can preventing the need for a Silver Alert (missing elder). Maybe your elder is still walking around by themselves and you just want to keep an eye on them. Or maybe they don't normally go out alone, but might slip out the back door or get separated from you while shopping.  Put a Jiobit on them--on their shoe, belt, or something else that they always have on. If my LO ever asks, "What's this for?" I say, "It's in case of emergency." Note: I also

I am creating this blog because several people have suggested that I write up some of the tips and tricks that have helped me in caring for my loved one (LO) who has dementia. The journey isn't over, so I'm sure I will continue to learn and adapt to the changing conditions. My brother is also along for this adventure. We both like problem solving and are good at lateral thinking. It always helps to think, "If this way of doing things isn't working, what else can we try?" Sometimes a problem arises that makes me think I just can't manage anymore, and then we come up with a solution and suddenly things look brighter. I also have help in the form of part-time caregivers who come in for a few hours three days a week. And I have a friend who is in a similar situation that I talk to on the phone every now and then. I follow a few Facebook pages related to caregiving. I could post my ideas there but things get lost in the feed. And maybe you don't want to be on F

I hesitated to put safety latches on the doors because of fire safety, but eventually it became more important to prevent my LO from wandering off. So, I installed sliding latches at the top of the exterior doors. I'm very happy with the ones I chose. They can be slid back and forth from either side of the door, providing you are tall enough. A person who still has their wits will be able to figure it out, but my LO one has not yet managed it.  Look here:  GlideLok Child Safety Door Top Lock Made of Durable Metal Update: My LO managed to pull so hard on the door that the bolt got pulled out along with some of the door trim. So, after gluing the trim back together, I used 3-inch screws to secure the bolts (on all our latches) all the way into the door frame.   

Sundowning is the term that the dementia world uses for end-of-day moodiness, although I find that it doesn't really depend on the time of sunset; my LO gets anxious around 5pm all through the year. Melatonin, 1mg, dissolvable tablets work like a dream. I hand one to my LO anywhere between 4:30 and 5:30pm and it makes the evenings very calm and enjoyable for both of us.  Try it if your LO gets anxious in the evening. https://www.douglaslabs.com/melatonin-18010.html