Heather was always a pro at shopping for clothes—nothing flashy, just high-quality, well-fitting, and practical pieces. She took real satisfaction in finding the right item at a good price and stretched out her buying process to make it last. She was never impulsive and never went overboard. But with everything falling apart, I suddenly found Read More
Tag: dementia incontinence
Food and eating habits
Heather has reached a point where she seems largely unaware of what she’s eating and shows little interest or desire for specific foods. While she previously had a preference for sweets, carbs, and similar foods, which is common among dementia patients, this has changed. Now, she appears somewhat apathetic toward food. Although she still has Read More
An art project… painting birds
Hetty used to visit on Fridays for art activities, hence the name of the book Fridays with Heather – 55 Art Projects for Dementia Care. She has since switched to Tuesdays, which doesn’t make any difference in the big scheme of things. Today is an art day. Hetty always keeps things as simple as possible, Read More
Heather then and now
At the request of one of my YouTube subscribers, I pulled together a few videos I recorded over the past three years, from before anything really started to happen with Heather. One of the earlier videos is a whale watching trip on Brier Island in Nova Scotia, where I’m quite sure there’s something wrong, but Read More
Fear based on not knowing what’s behind her – how this impacts daily activities – just figured this one out!
As I was laying in bed last night, suddenly a little light went on 💡, and I think I’ve come up with an explanation of why Heather has some hesitancy or fear in three particular daily functions: using the toilet, having a shower, and going to bed. Each of these activities has become a challenge Read More
Starting to see more of this
My housekeeping duties are ramping up with time, but I have things set up well enough here that I can stay on top of it. It’s not a big deal.
Accepting new “things”… the new one is a fear of water in the shower
Hi everybody! Here’s a short video where I talk about how the challenge I had to adapt to last month was that Heather stopped using utensils while eating food, and she started eating with her fingers instead. The video goes on to explain how there’s a new thing, and that’s a fear of water in Read More
Fake it till you make it – neuroplasticity in dementia care – choosing happy
Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity or brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. It is when the brain is rewired to function in some way that differs from how it previously functioned. It’s the “fake it till you make it” principle. Another expression that Read More
The Bum Blaster 3000!
Every once in a while there’s a Code Brown with a challenging and somewhat panicky cleanup. The existing shower wand in the downstairs shower was an anemic gentle thing that just isn’t cut out for this type of cleanup. That where today’s installation of the Bum Blaster 3000! comes in. One has to stay on Read More
How to reach maximum alertness in the morning
This morning at 8 AM, Heather shuffled out of bed and stood still at its foot, which is when incontinence happens if I don’t intervene immediately. So, I sprang into action, guiding her by the shoulders to the bathroom where I got her seated for a pee. Her diaper was heavy as usual, so I Read More
