I have posted here on and off for the last 10 years or so. My 94 year old mother with mild Dementia has started wailing loudly first thing in the morning. Is she trying to put some kind of guilt trip on me? I've decided to take short drives everyday so as not to let myself get pulled down by her negativity. Is this part of the dementia cycle? Is having hallucinations also part of this cycle as well? I'm at wits end. I refuse to look for nursing care facilities with the coronavirus rampantly spreading. It has targeted a nursing home in New York? I just have to live with it I suppose. How are other caregivers doing in light of the coronavirus and your elderly LO?
On another post someone shared an excellent idea of using those little foam ear plugs to at least muffle the extra noises some elders seem prone to making. Maybe try a white noise machine?
Getting away from the noise with your short drives is also a good idea to help maintain your sanity.
They talk crazy, mad, insane, belligerent, unruly, and then their bodies can act the same way....
VERY QUICKLY.... easy thing to rule out... get her checked for UTI.
Her response, I sounded like I was dying.. Yup, I am not musically inclined, but I was in my car, listening to her music? Of course I sounded like that !!!!
Are you old enough to remember the Johnny Carson Show back in the late 60's early 70's? He announced on air there was a shortage of TOILET PAPER
Yes,,, that show, he created a horrific scenario that the WORLD was out of toilet paper...or the USA.... What ever... but that show did create a panic... Everyone bought extra supplies of toilet paper.. and inevitably created a shortage...for a bit there, until he apologized... I think..
Common sense people... Keep away from: I, YOU, HE, SHE, IT... WE, YOU, THEY, ME. YOU. HIM, or IT;;; US, YOU, THEM... well, at least 6 feet from the last news report I saw..
A friend gave me a recipe for antibacterial gel, lotion, whatever hyou call that slimy stuff:
99% rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel...And If you cannot find rubbing alchohol, use VodKa. That way, if you want to, add some lime, or zest, and you can drink it.. I think she watched another "Johnny Carson" show. She is one of my best friends.. so perhaps she was giving me advice...
Other recipes I heard of was rubbing, alcohol, Peroxide, and aloe vera..to form a gel.... This means to me,, keep your hands clean... keep wipes on you if your are worried, and wipe down that grocery cart. a door handle that may look suspicious, and keep your cell phone close by so no body can even think of touching it...
Start being your own chef,,, no buffets.. Some of Las Vegas hotels are shutting down their buffets.... So, who is handling your fast food, like Mc'ds... Carl's, Starbucks, etc.... Ya, I don't know...
ONe radio person said their friends purchased 200 cases of toilet paper? REally, Seriously? Ya, I don't buy that story. really..
My friend who lives in the country Cyprus.. told me that a store in my neighborhood, Costco.. ran out of toilet paper and bottled water.. Really? I don't shop there anyway... apparently a lot of people do... That place is too congested for me, and I don't need to stock up on years' of supplies... IT'S CRAZY congested and crowded. Also, I am basically 1 person. Dont need that much stuff...
My idea is, take a deep breath, look around, see if elders are ok, and the facility is trying to keep things organized, sanitized, and clean.. If you need to: make your own sign, and write ONLY FAMILY and facility employees are allowed in this room.. If you feel comfortable to take LO out of room, then you go ahead..
If you want to take a gamble, I understand the cruises are very economical at the moment... I only saw one advertisement for a paddle boat cruise on the Columbia river starting in Oregon, drifting down south east...Looked kinda fun....Local, local I think was the pertinent message...
If elders are in a nursing home, talk with the management, and find out what their plans of prevention are, and what they want you to do to help them stave away this viral attack.