Friday, April 30, 2010

ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING: ALZHEIMERSBLOGGING:

What an Inspiration:
Today on my ambulance I got called for a 85 yr old male whose hemoglobin was 7.9 and bright red blood in his stool. I found this gentlemen sitting on the couch with big alligator tears streaming down his cheeks as the firemen were taking his vitals. His wife told us why she called us and how worried she was for him. I asked her how long they were married and right away she stated 60 years. But than with tears forming in her eyes she said it would be 61 years this June if he makes it.

This gentleman was in WWII and his job was half track gunner, and he remembered it like it was yesterday. Yet his wife told me that he will not even remember that he was at the hospital today. To me this was an inspiration to see this 80 yr old wife taking such good care of her 85 yr old husband with the hurting in her heart knowing that sometimes he forgets who she is.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING: ALZHEIMERSBLOGGING:

How are you doing today? It is a new day given by God, even though you feel like time is standing still. You are taking care of your loved one, who has no idea who you are. You make sure they have a bath, clean clothes, and their favorite food. Sometimes it seems like in the morning they are so peaceful and sweet with Thank Yous every time you do something for them. But than sun downers happens, and it is around 3pm. Now they are wondering, complaining, and you are upset.

This is happening to thousands of families just like yours. Some have gone through it and can wear your shoes. Some are just starting and have no idea what to expect. We can help each other out. We can share the little things we do for sanity. Remember through all of this, they did not ask for this and neither did you. Patience, and compassion is the key elements you need to survive. Remember that a good support group is needed along with respite care. If you have any good suggestions, please tell us so we can pass them around to help others.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Monday, April 26, 2010

ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING: ALZHEIMERSBLOGGING:

Have you looked at Alzheimer's Weekly lately. www.alzheimersweekly.com I found the following on this magazine this week.
Alzheimer's Care Find Alzheimer's and Dementia Care in your area. Free Assistance. www.aplaceformom.com
Alzheimer's Research Investigational drug treatment - Phase 3 Trial Seeking Patients Now www.concertstudy.com
Alzheimer's Symptoms find the symptoms for Alzheimer's Disease & the Top Treatments Today. www.alzheimerstreatments.com
Dementia Simple Tests Free John Hopkins Dementia Report. Free John Hopkins Health Alert www.johnhopkinshealthalerts.com
Alzheimers Diagnosis Research Alzheimer Diagnosis & Learn About Treatment Options www.alzheimertoronto.org

There are all kinds of on line sights to help you with information on this terrible disease. Please check them out so you can understand what is out there for you and your loved one. My prayers are with you.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 25, 2010

ALZHEIMER'S BLOG: ALZHEIMERSBLOG:

Working on my ambulance I came across a patient who was 90 yrs old and in a nursing home for pt/ot due to having a CVA. Her son wanted to talk to us outside the door. He informed me that his mother's wishes were to be a DNR. Do Not Resuscitate. She has dementia and on the way to the hospital, she told me she didn't want me to put in her IV and wanted to die. I thought I would touch up on DNR.

This form was designed for the pre hospital setting, whether in a persons home, or a long term care faculty, or during transport to or from a hospital or nursing faculty. This paper is to forgo resuscitation attempts in the event the patient goes into cardiac arrest. Resuscitate measures include chest compressions, assisted ventilation's, endotracheal intubation, defibrillation, cardiotonic drugs. This does not effect other emergency medical care including palliative treatment for pain, dyspnea, major hemorrhage, or other medical conditions.

This form must be signed by the patient, or patients legal representative, and the patients physician. For the ambulance/ fire you need the orange paper that is signed. Please talk to your doctor first and your loved one to make sure this is what you want done.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Friday, April 23, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimersblogging:

Attitude is very important with almost all that you do. But when a loved one has a disability it is important that you have a good attitude and to help them have a good attitude. I saw a women today at subway that had a stroke. I could see it very clearly, since she was walking with a cane and she could not use her left hand and dragging her left leg. But what I also saw was a women who was not going to let this disability take life away from her. She was smiling and friendly and waiting in line like every one else for her food. Yet there are others who have had a tragic thing happen and it ruins their life and all their loved ones life. I have a relative whose husband had a stroke. It has been a few years now, and although I have not see him, I have been told he makes life for himself and everyone around him miserable. He can't seem to do anything for himself. He yells at people and expects every one to jump when he needs something.

ATTITUDE POEM
Attitude is more important than facts
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than success
Than what other people say, or think, or do
It is more important than giftedness, appearance, or skill
It will make or break a company, a home, or a relationship
The remarkable thing is we have a choice, every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day
We cannot change the past, we cannot change the fact that other people will act in a certain way
We cannot change the inevitable
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me 90% how I react to it.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimersblogging:

Today is starting out with a cute 77 yr old female whom I was told has altered level of consciousness. When we found her lying in bed, she was awake with an IV running and oxygen on. When I asked her to squeeze my hands, she couldn't seem to do it. But when I asked her how old she was, she told me she didn't remember. I love that answer. At least she was telling me the truth. The one thing that bothered me was the crusting on her tongue and the bruising on her arms. Please keep a watch on your loved one, no matter where they live. I read her paperwork, and it read she has Alzheimer's with mood disorder. She needs someone with a lot of compassion to keep an eye on her. Please check out where your loved one is going to live if you can't take care of them at home.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers J0urnal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimersblogging:

Driving with Dementia; New Helpful Guidelines:

Evidence shows driving skills deteriorate with increasing dementia severity. "While patients with mild dementia, as a group, are higher risk drivers, more recent studies report that as many as 76% are still able to pass an on road driving test and can safely drive," said Iverson. "Faced with these facts, we needed to provide guidelines for doctors caring for these patients to identify those people at higher risk of unsafe driving, with out unnecessary restricting those who are safe drivers."

The American Academy of Neurology has issued a new guideline to help determine when people with Alzheimer's Disease or some other type of Dementia should stop driving. Please check out www.alzheimersweekly.com and please read this report of driving with Alzheimer's and please watch the videos.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blodspot.com
Alzheimer's blogging: alzheimersblogging:

Good Morning,
Do you ever stop and just talk to people. I mean you look at someone, see something about them you like, and decide to tell them. Call me crazy but I people watch. Yesterday, I noticed a cute elder women walking in Walmart with her gray hair up in a french braid with a cute bow on it. She was dressed in a skirt and blouse which was nicely tucked in a pair of low heals. She caught my eye noticing that she must be in her late 70's or early 80's and how nice she was taking care of herself. So of course I had to go and tell her how beautiful she looked. I walked up to her, put my hand on her back and accidentally frightened her. After my apologies, I went on to tell her how pretty she looked and her eyes shown up to me with a lot of appreciation. She than proceeded to tell me about her life, how they were in Germany and had to get away because people were getting killed and finally ended up in Seattle, Washington. She told me how she met a man later in life but he didn't want to get married because he had been married twice before and those women took him for everything he had. Eventually they did get married and she had a son. Her face softened up as she talked and she talked so freely like she had not been talking to any one in a long time. I guess I am writing this because the elderly have a lot to say, but can get pretty lonely. No one really take the time to sit with them and listen to their great stories. Please if you have a loved one, or a neighbor, or maybe see someone in the next pew up at church. Say hi, get a cup of coffee, and let them talk. They have a lot to say and are very interesting, and they will appreciate the conversation, because they are lonely.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostin.blogspot.com

Friday, April 16, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimersblogging:

I just want to share this with you today. On my ambulance I got called for a 87 yr old female having chest pains. When I got to the nursing home the nurse told me that she had her labs drawn this morning and her traponens were high so she needed to go to the emergency room. I found this cute maybe 80 pound women sitting on my gurney. She told me she was short of breath, as she tried to talk to me in short choppy words. She did say she was having chest pressure, like something heavy on her chest, and her legs were numb and heavy. We did our thing, O2, ecg monitor, pulse ox, I had trouble with the IV. As we were driving to the hospital, she told me that she had a triple by pass a few years ago. Then she proceeded to tell me that a couple of years after that she had a heart attach and died. But the paramedics brought her back and it hurt like hell, especially her legs. So she told me, they took off my bracelet but I am a DNR. Please don't hurt me like they did. Let me die.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimersblogging:

ISOLATION: Social separation of a person. A lack of contact between persons, groups, or whole societies. The failure of an individual to maintain contact with others.

I remember all to well how isolated I felt when I took care of dad with his Alzheimer's. I tried my hardest to stay in contact with family. I drove him to see his favorite family members to have lunch and I would drive him to see his sister. As the Alzheimer's got worse, and he got more confused it was getting harder to do these things. But I still tried. Yet, I felt so isolated when no family member would come to the house to see us. They remembered Joe how he was. Funny, and fun and full of life. They didn't want to see him how he was now with no clue as to who they were. I would take him to the mall and to Denny's for dinner once a week and to Walmart while I went shopping. But my life consisted of me and him only. When I did get to see a family member, it would not be for very long and it was only because I went out of my way to see them. They didn't see how hurt I was that they didn't come by to visit. I still needed conversation with other adults. It reminded me of when I was bringing up my children as a stay at home mom and only having baby talk all day long. How I longed for adult conversation.

I am just bringing this up to help you see that if you know of a loved one who is taking care of a parent or spouse with Alzheimer's, please go out of your way to visit. They will welcome the company. Right now their world has stopped in time although the world is still moving. And just to see company come over to say hi, how are you doing will make their world more pleasant.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging Alzheimersblogging

Today has been an eventful day. I am working on my ambulance and I got the pleasure to pick up a 90 yr old female who had tripped over her legs and fell. She hit her head, did not pass out, but she may require some stitches to her hand. Her skin is also very thin and blood was under some of it from the fall and if they are not careful, she could have a terrible skin tear. I thought that I needed to talk today about things you to make sure the nursing home knows when you have your loved one live there. First please let them know if your loved one has any allergies. At this nursing home the staff did not know if this patient had any allergies, and this is very important for the ambulance crew to know. Second, please let them know what kind of medical history and what medication they are on. But most important please give the staff your contact information. When they wanted to call the family, the number that was given did not work. Now this patient also had dementia. She was so cute when she told us to call her daughter, and didn't really know where she was living. She got mad at us because we took her in our ambulance and did not bring her wagon, which carried all her important items including money. But later in the ride she calmed down even though she had no idea where she was. When I asked her if she had any pain, she pulled on her bra and said it was to tight. I love these patients. Please if you put your dementia loved one in a nursing home please remember what I the important things that the staff needs to know. It could save her life.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimersblogging:

Check this out.

Red Skelton's Pledge Of Allegiance.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com
Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimersblogging:

Today is a great day for me. It is my anniversary today. Jimmy and I have been married now for 36 yrs. I have to say it has been work, but I am so glad that we have made it this far.

One of the things I love to do is talk to my elderly patients and ask them how long they have been married. Usually I get answers like 50 yrs and more. So than my next question is how did you stay married so long. I get all kinds of answers.

My husband was so easy to live with.
I do what ever she tells me to do.
I have learned to compromise.
We never went to bed mad.
It wasn't always easy.
To say you are sorry.
To never let a day go by without saying I Love You.

These were some of the answers I got, along with stories of how they met. I love talking to the elderly. They are so interesting to talk to and have some great stories. Funny isn't it, but soon I will be one of those elderly. I hope someone will want to talk to me. Have a great day and don't forget to tell someone today you love them.

Happy Anniversary Jimmy, I LOVE YOU ALWAYS.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Alzheimer's Blogging: Alzheimer's Blog: Alzheimersblogging

Good morning everyone,
It is a beautiful day here in sunny Az with the high today at 88%. We started our day at church, the way I love to start my week. My pastor today was asking us how long we had been married. My husband and I are having our anniversary this Tuesday and it will be 36yrs. But one lady said she was married for 54 yrs. I want to be a dinosaur just like her. I got on the computer and Alzheimer's Weekly sent me a copy of their on line news letter. I was touched by a article about Judith Fox, and about the book she wrote called: I Still Do

Her Husband, Dr. Edmund Ackell, a brilliant and successful man, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1998. If you go to www.alzheimersweekly.com you can see her story and watch her cute video about her book.

Also us baby boomers who grew up with our children and fast food, there is an article on Fast food fast tracks Alzheimer's.

"We now suspect that a high intake of fat and cholesterol in combination with genetic factors, such as apoE4, can adversely affect several brain substances, which can be a contributory factor in the development of Alzheimer's," says Susanne Akterin. Very interesting read.

Maybe that is why my 99 yr old grandma is doing so well. Just a thought. She was on a farm most of her life, cooking her own food, growing her own food and animals to slaughter. That along with hard work could be the answer?

Have a great day. And remember be an Angel do random acts of kindness.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostin.blogspot.com

Friday, April 9, 2010

ALZHEIMER'S BLOG: ALZHEIMERSBLOGGING:

Well yesterday my grandmother turned 99 yrs old. She rides a three wheel bike and bakes cookies. She is sometimes forgetting the names of her great grand kids. hehe. I forget the names of my sisters kids. I want to be just like her. She is a great women who took care of us every summer on the farm while growing up. There was six of us, and my parents took a break every summer by dropping us off to Wisconsin for the whole summer. We learned to drive the tractor, and milk the cows. Of course along with the fun stuff there was the awful chores like cleaning the manure out of the barn. My grandma grew all her own vegetables, got our milk from the cows, got our eggs from the chickens and grandpa killed the cow for our meat. I don't know it that is why she has had such a long life or not. But I thank God for her and my growing up memories on the farm with her.

Today is my youngest grandsons birthday. He is one years old today and trying to walk. I love thinking how grandma is 99 and my grandson is 1. It has to make you appreciate life. Remember that today is a gift. Don't put off any kindness that you can do today.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Monday, April 5, 2010

ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING: ALZHEIMERSBLOGGING: ALZHEIMER'S BLOG:

www.sagetest.osu.edu
Self test screens for dementia such as Alzheimer's. Dr. Douglas Scharre, a neurologist at the Ohio State University Medical Center, developed the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (sage) to help identify individuals with mild thinking and memory impairments at an early age.

Check out www.alzheimersweekly.com for articles on early diagnosis for Alzheimer's.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com
www.mariefostino.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 4, 2010

ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING: ALZHEIMERSBLOGGING

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE:

Today started out eventful as I got a call for a person with coffee ground emesis. I am getting called to a nursing home that is 30 minutes away. We finally showed up for our pt who was an elderly gentlemen, who has black around his mouth and nose. He had dementia, and told me he was not going with me. He could tell me his name, and his age and my partner asked me if we could take him because he has it all together. So I talked to the patient to prove he did not know the month of the year, and he told us he was living in this apartment for 27 yrs. My partner than started to understand that we needed to just help this patient the best we can with out his permission. We had to lift him up onto our gurney. And even though he would grab my hand and squeeze it and growl showing his teeth he never tried to get up. I had trouble because he would not co-operate but I did get his vitals, sugar and put oxygen on him.

Alzheimer's patients do not understand. Patience is what is needed. I am glad they called me instead of someone who would not have understood this patient. If your family member is in a nursing home, remember that they are doing the best they can.

Happy Easter. I am looking forward to getting off at 7 this morning so I can go to church and than have a fun time with picnic and softball game with family.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/