This past weekend when I arrived at the nursing home to be with my mother, she had a soft, cuddly stuffed doggie in her arms, talking to him in soothing phrases as though he were very much real. Actually, he was real to my mom!
When my mother’s aide came by, Linda explained that the little doggie did in fact have a name – James, named for my brother. Throughout the weekend if James were out of sight, my mother would ask about him. I’m glad she now has a buddy!
I had noticed that other Alzheimer patients with rooms on the same hall had cuddly babydolls in their arms at different times. Linda told me that she provided a few of the women with dolls she had purchased at a thrift store. The babydolls seem to be a source of comfort and a means of communication for the women.
My mom and I enjoyed our time together. She continues to remark about the members of her family represented in her photo poster. This time she mentioned her brother Paul, who was included in the group photo of them as children, and also in uniform as he was preparing to leave for WWII. Mother also pointed to the poster of the rooms in her home, saying, “I like that house!”
The poster site is now www.PostersAsTherapy.com .
Another happy moment during the weekend was at lunch on Monday. Fresh garden raised veggies are pretty much non-existent on patient plates. I had brought for her a few tomatoes from our garden, peeling the outer skin for ease of chewing. She seemed to relish every bite with mayo topping.
Thanks so much for this blog. I found you through the 20 Best Alzheimer’s Blogs listing by http://www.healthline.com recently. I was just writing a blog on my Dad with Alzheimer’s, and your Mom’s new friend reminds me of my Dad’s dinosaur/kangaroo. Thanks for writing…
Deborah,
Thank you for writing! I am so glad to know you are writing a blog about your experiences with you dad. My hope is that you will be able to help others through your sharing of what has been good for you and for your dad.
Ms. White, your blogs are quite good and I’m intrigued about your posters too. I have an idea I’m working on to improve quality of life for people suffering from memory loss. Could we exchange an email at your convenience?
Dennis Fassetta,
Founder & President
Tempus Roads, LLC
512-296-9424
http://www.tempusroads.com
http://www.kronolo-g.com
dennis.fassetta@kronolo-g.com
Dennis, thank you for visiting Memories from My Life. I look forward to connecting with you soonl, as it appears we are both working to improve qulity of life for people suffering from memory loss.