When Confusion Overwhelms Communication

Posted on January 23, 2021 by truthfulkindness

Tru here answering a question.

i would not TRY to reason with her on bad days.

.
… i dont suggest trying to reason with ME on bad days,
because it just makes me frustrated at myself since i cannot fully understand you,
and frustrated at YOU because you are not accepting me where i am at.

Instead it feels like you are trying to make me “better”
like i was before (and will never be again)

IF situation allows, suggest first a touch contact (such as hand-touch or a hug),
then distraction; a break in task.
Take some time to do something relaxing with her; perhaps coloring, or a few minutes of music, etc .

If she is a person that enjoys it, singing is wonderful.
Not only does singing involve rhythm and notes,
but using our voice to actively sing adds another important stress-reducer;
the need for deep breathing while singing triggers very beneficial stuff in the brain.
Three deep breaths can re-boot functions in the brain,
and give more positive feelings about life. …

After a song i would avoid more complicated topics, or even simple topics that require consecutive thought, or comparison-thought … probably for remainder of day.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Comparison requires more than one thing stay in my brain, while another is being compared.
Consecutive thought requires step 1,2,3 in thought process, which also requires more than one thing to stay in my brain. Both are getting difficult for me. When those types of thought are necessary, then having visual aids (ie pictures to illustrate what is said) is VERY helpful for me to grasp what is said.

It is very important that as many interactions as possible are ending on a positive note.
Use an enjoyable activity or engagement after stressful situation, in order to leave it as a positive.
Maybe it is just a cookie, cup of tea, or watching birds outside the window that emphasize a “high” note in the relationship/situation.

Remember, specific circumstances are rarely remembered,
but the feelings remain for quite a while.

COMMUNICATION Links:

Part 3 on Communication at https://truthfulkindness.com/2019/10/20/verbal-comprehension-strategies-3/ ;

Conversational Word-Sentences at https://truthfulkindness.com/2020/10/18/wordsentences/ ;

Bad Day indicators and suggestions at https://truthfulkindness.com/2018/04/09/bad-day-indicators-suggestions/ ;

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness on 24Jan2021. invested 6hrs. Bird picture copyright by aitoff on PixaBay. Tags: alzheimers, communication, comparison, consecutive, dementia, persons living with dementia, PLwD, relationship, strategy, symptom, talk

if you missed in 2020

Posted on January 17, 2021 by truthfulkindness

These were the most popular 2020 entries in my blogspace:

THANKS to contributing authors KimJoy, Missy, and Harry.

!! Remember, Links are on colored text, not the pictures !!

Right-click on colored text and selecting “open in new tab”,
will allow you to return to this tab easily (at top of window) when you finish.
Remember, Links are on colored text, NOT the pictures.

Hallucination Types at https://truthfulkindness.com/2020/01/26/hallucination-types/ ;

Mask = no communication or identification at https://truthfulkindness.com/2020/08/16/mask-communication-id/ ;

Dementia Mentors in our words at https://truthfulkindness.com/2020/09/27/dm-our-words/ ;

“A Pot and Dementia” (by KimJoy Ovard) at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/kimjoy-ovard/pot-dementia/ ;

Complex Nocturnal Hallucinations at https://truthfulkindness.com/2020/06/18/complex-nocturnal-hallucinations/ ;

“MeltDown” (by Missy) at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/missy/meltdown/ ;

Awareness of Cognitive Decline at https://truthfulkindness.com/2020/11/06/cognitive-decline/ ;

Links for Symptoms and Strategies at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/d-info/links-sx-strategies/ ;

Dementia Friends (by Maureen Kessler) at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/maureen-kessler/d-frnds/ ;

Constant Fog (by Harry Urban) at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/harry-urban/constant-fog/ ;

… and a few Family History entries .

Posted with Tags.

January Sag

Posted on January 10, 2021 by truthfulkindness

Tru here.

For most folks (not just those of us with dementia symptoms),
now that the glitz and glitter of holidays have faded,
our spirits have a tendency to sadly sag in these weeks of January.

How do these post-holiday emotions especially effect Persons Living with Dementia (PLwD) ?? What strategies can/do we use??

This is what 20 of my PLwD friends had to say: (alpha-order by given name). i added bold font to strategies, and added some line breaks for clarity.

.Spend time in nature:

“I feed the deer and birds every day.
My mom and aunt both died from Alzheimer’s So that is what it is.”
— Bob Fite on 31Dec2020.

.Search for the Joy in each day:

“I try to find joy in each day, in small ways.
Even if just looking at old photos,
reading something for fun,
being outdoors,
eating something good.”
— Cathy Fisher on 31Dec2020.

.HOPE:

“2020 has made it easy to believe a better year is to come…
a year of hope for a cure!”
— Cindy Odell on 01Jan2021.

.Don’t Worry:

Don’t worry about what people think of you… You’ll forget about them soon enough!
— Daryl Lees on 03Jan2021.

.Breathe with Focus:

“It has it made me sad
has made me very very anxious and my mind is racing.
I have had to medicate a few times and also
practice my breathing and
meditation.
The world is too crazy for me right now.”
— Donna McKay O’Connor on 31Dec2020.

.Engage with Kindred spirits:

“The Holiday season is winding down and what is in store for me.
I will be thrown back into the world of dementia and all it’s sufferings.
Over the Holidays I was able to
make some contacts with people that share my dreams and
make some plans for the future.
We all agree that programs need to be formed to help us live out our lives in the comforts of our homes.
Our care partners need to know how to better care for us and learn about the benefits that are unknown.”
— Harry Urban 26Dec2018

.Define the challenge:

“… having had cancer my I say had I dont need covid
I have had Dementia 9 years now and im killing it
but with this pandemic its made it worse
just like Dementia and cancer ill kick its ass always’ xxx.”
— Janice Crich on 31Dec2020.

.This too shall pass:

“I TRY TO REMEMBER “THIS TOO SHALL PASS!”
— Joyce Stevens Mullins on 31Dec2020,

.Simplify my Life:

“I have always focused on cleaning and organizing in the new year.
Though the projects are not as big and not always complete last few years I still feel like tackling it this year.
Plan to limit it to clearing out a pantry and organizing a craft area this year.”
— Judy Rogers Brinkley on 31Dec2020.

.Focus on a positive activity:

“I’ve had some devastating diagnoses this year, and I don’t know how much more I can take.

We hardly decorated for Christmas until this year. I decked the halls, found a tree in the basement and dolled it up, lights outside. For the first time in years, we exchanged gifts. It was a sweet few days.
The decorations are down now and I’ve started giving things away.

I feel like I’m nesting for the last time. No depression – as a matter of fact, it’s liberating.”
— Julia Riley Kupas on 31Dec2020.

.Cherish the Moments:

“It has become abundantly clear to me that for me to continue to find joy in my life, that
I can’t focus on my future (which looks pretty dismal),
but instead focus on the present.
I need to be present and enjoy every day, every minute that I have of good cognition.
I need to cherish the moments I have with my friends and family, the memories I have of days gone by, and the music that fills my life.
Tomorrow is not promised for anyone. Some people are more likely to live longer healthier lives than I am, but I still have a lot of living left to do, and a lot of love to give to family and friends.”
— Kelly (B) on 30Dec2020 at https://kellysalzheimerasblog.net/2020/12/30/looking-forward-to-2021-despite-alzheimers/ .

.Get out – Get active:

Honestly I’m relieved the holidays r over;
I don’t have good memories around any of them- past or even recent past- in prior yrs I just wrk thru them- but I don’t have the distraction of wrkng outside the hm now…
what helps is enjoying fresh air outside & doing dome kind of physical activity/movement every day.
— Lisa Schweiter on 02Jan2021.

.Take time for ME:

“I take time for me
take a tiny nap
watch tv
walk
work on my book
read
look at pictures of my grandkids
and just glad I am having a semi good day.”
— Marilyn Augustin on 31Dec2020.

. I don’t always HAVE to be in Control:

“I’m hopeful that 2021 is a new beginning.
I’m feeling rather frustrated with knowing who to trust or confide in.
Who has my back? It’s just a feeling.
But I’m confident that God is in control.
I just have to remind myself I cant make everyone feel the same way I do.”
— Marion James on 31Dec2020.

.Accept Strength from Others:

“Stress and depression over my illness and the whole covid/political coughbullshitcough has made this a rough year.
My family and my faith in the Christ is what helps me hold it together.
Gods will is God’s will.
My wife is my unwavering rock and my youngest son has just been so supportive.”
— Mike Holland on 31Dec2020.

.Be Available and Willing to Reach Out:

“Ok, so as a start,
just to say will be working at Full throttle from Next Monday January 4th 2021
so if anybody across the world would like to talk via ZOOM re dementia
i am here for you, please let me know,
just got that feeling it’s going to be a great year xxxxxxx.”
— Norman MacNamara on 01Jan2021.

.Look for the Bigger Perspective:

By the end of 2020, I was not meditating and deep breathing as much as thru out the year and was doing fewer days of good exercising each week and I was eating sugar and carbohydrates with both hands.
I was allowing too many projects at one time experiencing too much self imposed stress and worst of all by the end of the year I was spending less time with God each day. .

I love and strive on simple after so many years of damaging stress.
I am already taking a few steps back to allow me to enjoy many more long moments of Joy each day and savoring them more. All that works to make this the best season of my 80 years.
— Robert Jenkins on 03Jan2021.

.Share and Encourage:

I must admit 2021 was one of the most vigorous work outs of living with this disease like every day trying to maintain… throw in some unforeseen things too. Oh my… but
whenever I feel myself about to take a dive,…especially when the last death was one of my grandboys (dog) that was a blow because they walked with me each day..and like talking buddies or talking kids that could not talk… but they were always there right by my side
but in summary I had to
share my tears get it all out and zap back into a happy state of mind By
being grateful …that I’m still alive and I can still write..my
writing and uplifting others keeps me grounded and
allow the sorrow in me to washout
..listening to music and singing helps me too .
— Terry Montgomery on 03Jan2021.

.Focus on the Basics:

“I take extra time to have Me-Time.
To surround myself with simple things I love – TV / book catch up – walking on the beach with the dogs / literally taking time to smell the roses and other flowers.

I focus back on the basics – hydration – medications on time and enough – stop the sugar snacking and the other six white and wheat / soya which I’m moderately allergic too. I always stay up for Sydney’s spectacular NYE fireworks but not last night – I needed extra restorative sleep

Enjoying the cards and phone calls but trying not to angst over those I didn’t get
– bloody isolating dementia.

Deliberately slowing my mind / my rushing and resting.
Between Xmas and New Year is REST time before all the frenetic Dementia Advocacy via Zoom starts again. Hugs

”
— Valerie Schache on 31Dec2020.

.Develop strategies for consistency and stability:

I love the holiday period over Christmas and the new year.
obviously, it was so much better when i had children around and also better before this year when able to share with others in person rather than just online but i made the most of it and had good shared times on video with friends far and near.
But dementia symptoms and the huge need for consistency and stability get destroyed by all usual patterns being disrupted for special days and times.
it is draining so a welcome relief when January is underway properly by the second week and schedules return to usual!
— Wayne Eaton on 02Jan2021.

So in summary, some suggestions from above are

Spend time in nature, Search for the Joy in each day, Hope, Don’t worry, Breathe with Focus, Engage with Kindred spirits, Define the challenge, Remember this too shall pass, Simplify my life, Focus on a positive activity, Cherish the moments, Get out – Get active, Take time for ME, I don’t have to be in Control, Accept strength from Others, Be Available and willing to Reach Out, Look for the Bigger Perspective, Share and Encourage, Focus on the Basics, Develop strategies for consistency and stability.

… GREAT ideas from Persons Living with Dementia.
This is better than any self-help book, and it came from US !!! ((smile))

Pages from Other Persons with Dementia on my webspace are indexed here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/ .

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Copyright © by each speaker, but i added bold font to strategies, and added some line breaks for clarity. with permission to share found either on my personal FaceBook profile (post/10224254986660899), LHEO (permalink/2185120661632562/), Just4ppl (permalink/1879304272232984), or in PM Messenger. Posted on 10Jan2021. Tags: alzheimers, dementia, holiday, January, persons living with dementia, PLwD, seasons, strategy, stress, symptom, therapy

Bib-Collar as Strategy

Posted on January 3, 2021 by truthfulkindness

Tru here.

Summary:
It is that time again; during fall, winter, and spring you will often see me wearing a crochet collar.
These have two purposes;
1) Bib to prevent staining of my shirt, and
2) a little bit of warmth on shoulders and chest.

Detail:
My depth perception and distance calculations are distorted.
It seems lately i must have a “hole in my lip”, thru which foods, drinks, and my prescriptions fall. This creates stains on my clothing almost every time i eat, so i have been working on some strategies.
… A] Eating more “finger foods”.
… B] use fork more often than a spoon now, so that i can “stab” the food.
… C] use insulated mug with lid that does not leak.
… D] For prescriptions, dog now watches when i take meds, to show me where it dropped ((without dog eating the pill — PLEASE see the training Link attached)).
… E] i made some bib-collars that have replaceable inserts over the area where food is most frequently dropped.

… . … These collars are crochet
(altho i have been trying to figure out design for bib-collars in fabric for warm weather).

I crochet a circle large enough to BARELY go around my head (because it will stretch length).
Then i simply add rows of whatever stitches feel good, until i cover the top part of my chest — where i drip food and drinks.

i have several black triangle-shaped crochet pieces, which are replaceable inserts for center of necklace-collar. ((i connect them with tiny hair “octopus” clips, so they are easily changed.))
Black is my most frequent color of shirt and pant, because blacks are most easy to closely match each other, without off-shades producing a “clashing” color. So right now almost all my inserts are black to match my shirts. — then color is added with bib-collar and accessories.
Right now i have collars in 5 colors, along with the multi-color collar i made to start with.

That is current strategy for ME
… what do YOU do to compensate for this problem?

((One suggestion was simply “wear tie-dye”. LOL)).

This was my first collar — before i thought of making replaceable insert.

LINKS:

Adaptations for Dressing at https://truthfulkindness.com/2019/01/07/adaptations-dressing/ .

SrvDog Trng for “Pill Watch” task at https://truthfulkindness.com/2020/08/02/servicedog-training-for-pill-watch-task/ .

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness on 03Jan2021. Tags: alzheimers, bib, clothing, collar, crochet, dementia, eating, lewy body, persons living with dementia, PLwD, strategy, symptom

December Pages

Posted on December 28, 2020 by truthfulkindness

Tru here. These 7 pages were added to my BlogSpace during December.

!! Remember, Links are on colored text, not the pictures !!

Advocacy:

Maureen Kessler on Dementia Friends at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/maureen-kessler/ ;

Harry Urban on Being Santa at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/harry-urban/being-santa/ .

KimJoy Ovard on dementia comfort at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/kimjoy-ovard/pot-dementia/ ;

Missy on SunDowning at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/missy/meltdown/ ;

Cate Lau-Booth on Fear is our Enemy at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/cate-l-b/fear-is-our-enemy/ ;

FamHist:

Michaelis/12-Days Celebration at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/family-history-index/12-days/ .

Petrin>Wester: Anders in Falun at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/family-history-index/anders-falun/ .

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Picture Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness on 21Dec2020 (Star is supposed to look embroidered). Tags:.

Holiday Pages

Posted on December 17, 2020 by truthfulkindness

!! Remember, Links are on colored text, not the pictures !!

These are some of the holiday-themed pages in this blog-space:

“Retain Routine” by Truthful Kindness at https://truthfulkindness.com/2015/11/10/dst-holiday-confusion-retain-routine/ ;

“Being Santa” by Harry Urban at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/harry-urban/being-santa/ ;

Context of Symptoms by Truthful Kindness at https://truthfulkindness.com/2016/12/27/hol-ctxt-hist-sx/ ;

“All I Want for Christmas” by Harry Urban at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/harry-urban/dbl-want-christmas/ ;

Hurting Holiday Prayer by Truthful Kindness at https://truthfulkindness.com/bnp/part-3/hurting-holiday-prayer/ ;

… and a couple on OTHER’S webspace:

Christmas Tree analogy from Laurie Scherrer at https://dementiadaze.com/2016/11/29/dementia-christmas-tree-analogy/ ;

George Huba at https://hubaisms.com/2015/11/24/dementia-and-big-family-holidays-mindmaps-on-the-enjoyment-of-all/ .

… from George Rook at https://georgerook51.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/boing-boing-boing/ ;

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 17Dec2020. Tags: alzheimers, Christmas, dementia, holiday, Persons Living with Dementia, PLwD, symptom.

November Pages

Posted on November 30, 2020 by truthfulkindness

Tru here. These 8 pages were recently added to my blogspace.

!! Remember, Links are on colored text, not the pictures !!

Dementia Symptom Perspectives/Harry Urban “Lack of Self-Expression” at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/harry-urban/self-expression-trtl/ ;

BnP/2012: My Experiences of Care-Partnering at https://truthfulkindness.com/bnp/part-3/bnp-3d-2012-u/as-care-partner/ ;

Index Alcohol-Related Dementia at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/d-info/alochol-dementia/ ;

Index Links for Dementia Relationships at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/d-info/links-sx-strategies/relationships/ ;

Med/FMS: Pain Fatigue and Creativity Process at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/med/pain-fatigue-creativity/ ;

FamHist Spencer branches: “November “Sin” at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/family-history-index/nov-sin-1663/ .

BnP/2020: Cough at https://truthfulkindness.com/bnp/part-3/cough/ ;

Dementia Symptom Perspectives: Harry’s THANKS at https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/harry-urban/thanks-2014/ .

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 30Nov2020. Copyright for graphic Truthful Kindness 29Nov2020. Tags:

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Fell Twice

Posted on November 24, 2020 by truthfulkindness

Wed update (25th) is that i messed up: i guess i got a bit complacent.
i hugged the dog, he knocked into my head and i got a NEW ball of swelling on my brow.
… So i am off FaceBook for remainder of evening and back to cold compresses.
Really hoping this will not create need for me to sleep reclining again instead of laying down. uggggh !

Tru here.

I am usually able to catch myself when falling, but the past month or so my balance has felt more precarious so i have avoided some of my standard activities (like playing hide and seek with the dog in the yard). But i fell twice last week.

Friday morning, i had an excuse because i was trying to herd a chicken off the ramp at back door — when i fell off the ramp.

Saturday morning still astounds me. Husband had everything prepared, and i had both knees on the bricks in front of wood stove to light the fire shortly before 5am. Then i fell on edge of the wood stove. i dont know how; it makes no sense — and NO i had not been drinking alcohol, LOL.

… so i got a quail-egg-size bump on my eyebrow.

i woke husband. He checked for concussion and stroke symptoms, then we got some rice bags from the freezer on my eye brow, but by 10am (5 hours later) the “eyeBrow” lump turned into a black eye that was swollen shut.

The eye looked so bad that we contacted an online video doctor and had a consultation that afternoon. He said he had seen plenty of others with “this”, so i asked “what do you mean by “this”, and he clarified ” plenty of others who get drunk and fall”. i tried to laugh and told him i have not been drunk since 1989. … Obviously he did not believe me because he reiterated that i need to avoid the “A” words; Alcohol, Aspirin, Advil, Aleve, (or any medication that contains aspirin, because aspirin thins the blood). He said to sleep with my head elevated in a recliner or something instead of flat in a bed. He said to rest and dont COUGH, dont move my head quickly, or do things that would cause blood pressure to go up. Wants me to see eye doctor on Monday.

Now Monday morning, (Nov 23rd) and i can finally squint to see from eye. Swelling is moving down to nose and jaw. Very colorful Lady this week with deep purple especially on the eye lid itself. (Much better than the black from yesterday.)

STRATEGIES:

Keep rice bags in fridge to minimize swelling. (But i also keep some not in fridge, for use in microwave).
Using bed-wedge to hold head at higher elevation than my heart. My wedge is wonderful in two positions; sitting up in a slightly-reclined position, or laying down with a comfortable rise.
Husband has taken over responsibilities for chicken care, and i am not leaving the inside of the house. Husband makes trips upstairs for anything stored in that area.
With my vision complications, we have clarified a system which makes it easier for me to find foods that are safe for ME to eat (Gluten-Free). We put my special dietary foods in ROUND Twist-Top containers, which is different than the rectangles for general household foods.
With only one eye operating, i need more light in the house.
i am learning new strategies because guessing placement of corners, walls, etc, is much more difficult with only one eye functioning, and loss of depth perception. Dog is staying in harness at all times, so he can help for balance. When he is “on break” (potty and playtime) or “off duty” (after harness has been removed for bed) then i am using walker with tray.

If YOU are questioning balance changes or stability, you might want to check out CraigsList for a used walker to have handy. Also grab a bed-wedge if you spot one.

LINKS:

WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/falls-falling#1 ;

Psychology Today at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/managing-your-memory/202008/does-dementia-cause-falls ;

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. If you have a WordPress account, Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 23Nov2020. Tags: alzheimers, balance, dementia, falls, lewy body, Persons Living with Dementia, PLwD, symptom.

Art Strategy with Tremor

Posted on November 20, 2020 by truthfulkindness

Tru here.

Summary:
Strategies i am currently using for tremor are “image stabilization” tool on iPhone,
and “StreamLine” tool in iPad’s ProCreate program.

DETAIL:

Many of my my friends with dementia have a “tremor”, or shaking of hand, neck, etc.
So i am not the only one.

Tremor is a possible risk factor for both Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons, which is caused by Lewy Body protein deposits, so closely associated with Lewy Body Dementia. (See NIH Link at bottom of page).
Also, tremor is a symptom of Vascular Dementia (see Johns Hopkins Medicine Link).

15 years ago, My essential tremor was much helped by a little bit of alcohol intake.
so if i wanted to take photos, draw, calligraphy, etc, i would drink just a little bit of something alcoholic
and the tremors would decrease to something manageable.
. . . But Now my cerebro-vascular disease has increased, and
For the past several years alcoholic content no longer helps my tremors
(or if it does, it is not noticeable enough to help my artistic efforts).
My tremor increases with each year.

Important to recognize that
the nature of a “work-around” is almost always TEMPORARY;
the strategy “works around” (or “mitigates”) our dys-Ability
— until that particular ability declines to a point that the strategy is no longer sufficient to continue the activity.

These are the current tools i am using to stretch my artistic abilities a bit longer
– despite increasing tremor.

Photos: Mostly i have now lost ability to photograph, but i can still take blurry pictures using the combination of iPhone “image stabilization”, and by setting the phone against a solid un-moving surface such as doorsill, table, car, fence, etc.

Drawing and Calligraphy: In the past couple years all drawing and lettering have been a very long process. i would use erase-able pencil on paper, then when base was satisfactory i would scan to computer. Next step was to bring up scan and print several copies (because i already know i will mess up several when i trace with ink. Each separate element of my project would require these scanning processes, then i could combine in PhotoShop app.

But now i have an iPad with Apple Pencil. … with “StreamLine” tool in ProCreate app,
(which i used to create the cover art for this entry).
Right now, i set “streamline” tool at about 70% unless it is a really bad day, when i put it up to max 100%.

YouTube tutorial below was NOT made by me, but she mostly speaks slow enough for me to understand.

LINKS:

ZenDoodles at https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/arts-crafts/zen-mar2020/ ;
NIH at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3142098/ and https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Tremor-Fact-Sheet ;
Johns Hopkins Medicine at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/dementia/vascular-dementia .
Web MD at https://www.webmd.com/brain/essential-tremor-basics#1 , and
Wiki at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_tremor .

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. If you have a WordPress account, Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 20Nov2020 with 6hrs invested +art. Tags: Alzheimer’s, Apple Pencil, Art, Dementia, Drawing, iPad, Lettering, ProCreate, Technology, Tremor, Vascular

Awareness of Cognitive Decline

Posted on November 6, 2020 by truthfulkindness

Question received:
“How do you deal with knowing what’s going on
… confusion, stress, anxiety, emotion(s) … ?
How do you handle all that?”

Tru here.

THANKS for asking our opinion as Persons Living with Dementia symptoms; Not knowing where you or your loved one are, on this dementia journey, makes it a bit more difficult to give specific suggestions.

Yes, you are quite correct;
Those of us who are aware of our decline have unique challenges.
Along with several of my friends, i think the most crucial strategies are:

Acknowledge,
Accept, and Grieve each step in Loss of Abilities and Behaviors that we associate with our uniqueness, along with the loss of aspects of relationships associated with those abilities and behaviors. This is a constantly-changing process, requiring repeated process of grief with each step.
In my observation, if we try to deny or “skip” those steps of grief, it usually results in extra frustration, resentment, and bitterness.
Something i wrote on this topic is here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2015/08/18/loss-grief-choices-dementia-advocacy/ .

Focus:
We go thru the grief process in order to FOCUS on our remaining Abilities (instead of the growing list of Dys-Abilities). Here is a vid Chris Roberts made for this topic >>

Chris Roberts: Concentrate On What You Still Can Do from Dementia Mentors on Vimeo.

Peers:
We join peer groups that help accept our losses, and strategize work-arounds for those dys-abilities. Some of those peer groups are via text (FaceBook, Twitter, etc), and some are via Zoom video chat where we visit in our Living Rooms, etc. (see Links at the bottom of this page). When i am in video chat i FEEL normal, because these folks actually do understand my challenges – they experience them also. i am not alone.
Here is a vid from Robert Bowles out our peer group of Dementia Mentors at >>

Robert Bowles Discusses Becoming a Member of Dementia Mentors from Dementia Mentors on Vimeo.

Purpose:
i think another crucial strategy is to find purpose AFTER diagnosis. Each human needs purpose, and for some folks that purpose has now been de-railed by our dys-Abilities … so in those cases we need to find NEW purpose. For many folks, that new purpose is related to Dementia advocacy in some way.

Purpose notes:
My friend Robert Bowles has written about this here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/robert-bowles-jr/asap/ ,

You might want to check out “Dementia Success Stories” (online booklet) at >> 616 Stories 1d Complete 20150326dw BatesPgs .

We at Dementia Mentors have put together 125 short videos to assist Persons Living with Dementia (and also care-Partners). i picked out a few of these videos you might want to check out, then invite your Loved One to watch a couple.

Here is a vid i did on continuing time in exercise at >>

Truthful Kindness: Keeping up your Mobility from Dementia Mentors on Vimeo.

… and here is a vid retired doctor Jennifer Bute did on a “LifeBook” project at >>

Jennifer Bute: Preserving Memories with a Lifebook from Dementia Mentors on Vimeo.

BLOGS:

Personally i searched for quite a while to find Blogs written in first-person (by the person living with dementia symptoms).
For a long time i kept a listing but i am now losing those abilities.
In 2018 i shared these as my top selections >> https://truthfulkindness.com/links/plwd-blog-2018-rec/ .

For Peer groups:

i live in a rural area, so most of my associates are on FaceBook.
My favorite “mixed” text groups (for Persons Living with Dementia and also care-Partners) are
Harry Urban’s Forget-Me-Not groups (with separate groups for several types of dementia) and
Myrna’s “Dementia Middle Stages” group, along with loads and loads of other groups.

There are not a lot of texting groups for only Persons Living with Dementia symptoms, but some of the groups that i am part of (again on FaceBook) are
“Virtual Memory Cafe” (for Dementia Mentors members),
Sandra’s group “Living Healthy with Early Onset Dementia”, and
Kerry’s group “Just for People with Early Onset”.

Organizations for those of us living with dementia symptoms include
Dementia Mentors https://www.dementiamentors.org/ ,
Many projects with Dementia Action Alliance https://daanow.org/ , and also
Dementia Alliance International https://www.dementiaallianceinternational.org/ (which is both by and only for Persons with a diagnosis of full dementia — Mild Cognitive Impairment is not included in membership).

LINKS:

my most crucial entries at https://truthfulkindness.com/category/important/crucial/ .

Dementia Mentors at https://www.dementiamentors.org/ .

Dementia Action Alliance at https://daanow.org/ .

If you have a WordPress account then you can leave comment here, otherwise
please send questions on FaceBook MESSENGER Private Message to Truthful Kindness.

. * Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Subscribe “FOLLOW” button is at the very bottom of the page, with “Category” Links, “Recent Posts” and “Archive”. If you put your eMail address there you should get an eMail each time i write a blog entry. If you have a WordPress account, Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. … *** … If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 06Nov2020. Tags: . alzheimers, dementia, diagnosis, emotions, focus, grief, peer group, persons living with dementia, PLwD, purpose.

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