Tips For Caregiver's

People with Alzheimer's disease frequently become more disoriented after dark or when waking. Leaving a night-light on in the bedroom may be helpful.

~WebMd

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Bathroom Breaks

What is the first thing you do when you get home from work? After my commute, that can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes, I go to the bathroom. Immediately following, I change my clothes so that I can start dinner.

Yesterday was no different, except Muddear was calling me as soon as I walked into the door. After telling Little Mike to explain to Muddear that I was going to the bathroom, I figured all was well in the world. Guess what? It was not! With my after-work-routine completed, I entered the hallway where I found Muddear sitting. She took one look at me and began fussing...

"What's wrong with my family that they don't come and see me? If I hadn't been in the hallway, you would have never come to see me!"
"Muddear, remember I had to go to the bathroom?"
"Well you didn't tell me you had to go to the bathroom!"
I was thinking, "why should I tell you that I am going to the bathroom?", but in actuality, I said:
"Muddear, Little Mike told you I was in the bathroom."
"NO HE DIDN'T!"
"Yes he did Muddear, I heard him tell you."
"Well that was too late! It was after I had been waiting for a very long time. People shouldn't treat me like this! It's how it was done that upsets me."
"Muddear, I am sorry, but you cannot be angry with me because I had to go to the bathroom. You said you were calling me, what did you need?"
"I didn't need anything! Can't I call you and not need something? I wanted to talk! Can't it be that I just wanted to talk?"
"Yes, Muddear, if you want to talk just tell me you want to talk." At this point, I was getting frustrated, but I asked anyway..."What do you want to talk about?"
(Silence)
"Muddear, what did you want to talk about?"
(Silence)
"Muddear, do you hear me?"
(Silence)
"So are you just going to ignore me?"
"I'm too upset to talk to you. The way you treat me. You don't tell me what's going on with you!"
"Okay, Muddear, you really cannot be upset with me because I had to go to the bathroom and change my clothes, so I am going to leave you alone for awhile until you decide that you are not mad anymore."

This kind of stuff is frustrating for me. I really want Muddear to be happy, but my god, I am not going to report every time I have to use the bathroom. Okay Nikki, calm down...she has Dementia. Sometimes I have to remind myself more than once.

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