Mom's House Call (OT)

So, the doctor from Senior Health Associates came out yesterday and examined
Mom. First he sat and talked with me for about 30 minutes and took some
notes about her overall condition. Then he examined her.

He said her heart is strong, her lungs are clear (strange considering she's
smoked for 65 years), her kidney function appears to be good. She doesn't
have any tenderness in her lower abdomen so no signs of gastric distress.
He sort of scoffed at her primary care physician's tentative mention of
ulcerative colitis - he said that's sort of a "we don't have a clue"
diagnosis. She doesn't seem to have any intestinal or bowel problems.

A couple of things disturbed me, though. He had her walk out and sit with
us in the living room and he did some cognitive tests. When he asked what
year it is she said, "1978". He glanced at me, then asked her again. 1978.
(sigh) She knows her street address but not the city or state she lives in.
(Yet she can count backwards from 100 in increments of 7. Hell, I can't
even do that!)

The other thing is he asked her is how often she walks out to the kitchen.
She told him she walks to the kitchen 3-4 times a day to get a snack. I was
so surprised I exclaimed, "Mom! You do not!" She got mad and yelled at me
for contradicting her. She doesn't walk anywhere but to the bathroom and
once in a while the TV room anymore. That's it.

He's requesting her medical records and the goal is to reduce the number of
pills she has to take every day. And he said not to worry at her age about
what she eats. He told me don't worry about cholesterol and sodium levels
at this point. Just let her eat what she wants. That pretty much just
means eggs & toast these days, although she did eat some roast and mashed
potatoes on Monday. And I'll see if she'll eat some chicken & rice tonight.

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
So, the doctor from Senior Health Associates came out yesterday and
examined Mom. First he sat and talked with me for about 30 minutes and
took some notes about her overall condition. Then he examined her.

He said her heart is strong, her lungs are clear (strange considering
she's smoked for 65 years), her kidney function appears to be good. She
doesn't have any tenderness in her lower abdomen so no signs of gastric
distress. He sort of scoffed at her primary care physician's tentative
mention of ulcerative colitis - he said that's sort of a "we don't have a
clue" diagnosis. She doesn't seem to have any intestinal or bowel
problems.

A couple of things disturbed me, though. He had her walk out and sit with
us in the living room and he did some cognitive tests. When he asked what
year it is she said, "1978". He glanced at me, then asked her again.
1978. (sigh) She knows her street address but not the city or state she
lives in. (Yet she can count backwards from 100 in increments of 7. Hell,
I can't even do that!)

The other thing is he asked her is how often she walks out to the kitchen.
She told him she walks to the kitchen 3-4 times a day to get a snack. I
was so surprised I exclaimed, "Mom! You do not!" She got mad and yelled
at me for contradicting her. She doesn't walk anywhere but to the
bathroom and once in a while the TV room anymore. That's it.

snip
Jill

The type of responses your mother gave -- incorrect date (off by 30 years!)
and her insistence that she is making more trips to the kitchen than she
actually does -- are often early signs of dementia. (That's a word I hate!
This is one place where I would like a more PC term.) Those were the first
noticeable signs for my mother. Eventually, she would claim that she was
more than 100 years old, and she would either be surprised or annoyed if
someone mentioned the correct age. She lost more and more of her short-term
memory but could talk at great length -- and accurately -- about things that
happened many years in the past. Fortunately for us, she always knew my
brother, sister, and myself and always expressed her love for us. But she
would forget the names of everyone else, even nurses and aides who saw her
every day in the nursing home. So, that is something you might want to
watch carefully and possibly discuss with the doctor on his next visit.

MaryL

MaryL wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
So, the doctor from Senior Health Associates came out yesterday and
examined Mom. First he sat and talked with me for about 30 minutes
and took some notes about her overall condition. Then he examined
her. A couple of things disturbed me, though. He had her walk out and
sit with us in the living room and he did some cognitive tests. When he
asked what year it is she said, "1978". He glanced at me,
then asked her again. 1978. (sigh) She knows her street address but
not the city or state she lives in. (Yet she can count backwards
from 100 in increments of 7. Hell, I can't even do that!)

The other thing is he asked her is how often she walks out to the
kitchen. She told him she walks to the kitchen 3-4 times a day to
get a snack. I was so surprised I exclaimed, "Mom! You do not!" She got
mad and yelled at me for contradicting her. She doesn't
walk anywhere but to the bathroom and once in a while the TV room
anymore. That's it.
snip

The type of responses your mother gave -- incorrect date (off by 30
years!) and her insistence that she is making more trips to the
kitchen than she actually does -- are often early signs of dementia.

Yes, I know. My father had full blown Alzheimers. He had no idea who I was
when I came here last December. The social worker from one of the home
health agencies I met with (about getting someone in here to help with
bathing Mom) said something that made perfect sense about my father not
knowing who I am. His memories of me were from years ago. He wasn't
expecting a 47 year old woman. His nick-name for me was "that big girl".
I'm not big LOL But I'm bigger than he and my mother.

The sad thing is my brother was just here last week. I tried to tell him
then she's starting to lose some of her cognitive abilities. His comment
about the 1978 thing was "at least she got the 8 right!" Um, sure, that
makes it all better. He's in denial.

Jill

MaryL is right, sounds like early signs. I agree with the Doc about letting
her eat what she wants so long is she is eating something. I was caretaker
for an Aunt, my mother in law and my husband. I tried to get them all to
eat "right". Finally, the Doc said let them alone so long as they consume
at least a cup of something a day. When I quit picking my husband about it,
he actually ate more!!! I would offer to share what I had and he would take
it.

Purrs and Prayers for what you are going through.
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
. ..

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
So, the doctor from Senior Health Associates came out yesterday and
examined Mom. First he sat and talked with me for about 30 minutes and
took some notes about her overall condition. Then he examined her.

He said her heart is strong, her lungs are clear (strange considering
she's smoked for 65 years), her kidney function appears to be good. She
doesn't have any tenderness in her lower abdomen so no signs of gastric
distress. He sort of scoffed at her primary care physician's tentative
mention of ulcerative colitis - he said that's sort of a "we don't have a
clue" diagnosis. She doesn't seem to have any intestinal or bowel
problems.

A couple of things disturbed me, though. He had her walk out and sit
with us in the living room and he did some cognitive tests. When he
asked what year it is she said, "1978". He glanced at me, then asked her
again. 1978. (sigh) She knows her street address but not the city or
state she lives in. (Yet she can count backwards from 100 in increments
of 7. Hell, I can't even do that!)

The other thing is he asked her is how often she walks out to the
kitchen. She told him she walks to the kitchen 3-4 times a day to get a
snack. I was so surprised I exclaimed, "Mom! You do not!" She got mad
and yelled at me for contradicting her. She doesn't walk anywhere but to
the bathroom and once in a while the TV room anymore. That's it.

snip
Jill

The type of responses your mother gave -- incorrect date (off by 30
years!) and her insistence that she is making more trips to the kitchen
than she actually does -- are often early signs of dementia. (That's a
word I hate! This is one place where I would like a more PC term.) Those
were the first noticeable signs for my mother. Eventually, she would
claim that she was more than 100 years old, and she would either be
surprised or annoyed if someone mentioned the correct age. She lost more
and more of her short-term memory but could talk at great length -- and
accurately -- about things that happened many years in the past.
Fortunately for us, she always knew my brother, sister, and myself and
always expressed her love for us. But she would forget the names of
everyone else, even nurses and aides who saw her every day in the nursing
home. So, that is something you might want to watch carefully and
possibly discuss with the doctor on his next visit.

MaryL

Most of the time, only the one doing the care taking sees the problem. It
is easier for everyone else to deny it than face it. No help to you.
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
MaryL wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
So, the doctor from Senior Health Associates came out yesterday and
examined Mom. First he sat and talked with me for about 30 minutes
and took some notes about her overall condition. Then he examined
her. A couple of things disturbed me, though. He had her walk out and
sit with us in the living room and he did some cognitive tests. When he
asked what year it is she said, "1978". He glanced at me,
then asked her again. 1978. (sigh) She knows her street address but
not the city or state she lives in. (Yet she can count backwards
from 100 in increments of 7. Hell, I can't even do that!)

The other thing is he asked her is how often she walks out to the
kitchen. She told him she walks to the kitchen 3-4 times a day to
get a snack. I was so surprised I exclaimed, "Mom! You do not!" She
got mad and yelled at me for contradicting her. She doesn't
walk anywhere but to the bathroom and once in a while the TV room
anymore. That's it.
snip

The type of responses your mother gave -- incorrect date (off by 30
years!) and her insistence that she is making more trips to the
kitchen than she actually does -- are often early signs of dementia.

Yes, I know. My father had full blown Alzheimers. He had no idea who I
was when I came here last December. The social worker from one of the
home health agencies I met with (about getting someone in here to help
with bathing Mom) said something that made perfect sense about my father
not knowing who I am. His memories of me were from years ago. He wasn't
expecting a 47 year old woman. His nick-name for me was "that big girl".
I'm not big LOL But I'm bigger than he and my mother.

The sad thing is my brother was just here last week. I tried to tell him
then she's starting to lose some of her cognitive abilities. His comment
about the 1978 thing was "at least she got the 8 right!" Um, sure, that
makes it all better. He's in denial.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
He's requesting her medical records and the goal is to reduce the number
of pills she has to take every day. And he said not to worry at her age
about what she eats. He told me don't worry about cholesterol and
sodium levels at this point.

We all had to laugh at my mom (who lived in a senior residence) because,
much as she loved bacon and eggs for breakfast (which was the only
really palatable offering for that meal), she'd only order them on
special occasions, because she worried about raising her cholesterol
levels (even though hers had always been just fine). She was close to a
hundred at the time - how much longer did she think she would prolong
her life by denying herself foods she enjoyed? ;-)

jmcquown wrote:
MaryL wrote:

The type of responses your mother gave -- incorrect date (off by 30
years!) and her insistence that she is making more trips to the
kitchen than she actually does -- are often early signs of dementia.

Yes, I know. My father had full blown Alzheimers. He had no idea who I
was when I came here last December. The social worker from one of the
home health agencies I met with (about getting someone in here to help
with bathing Mom) said something that made perfect sense about my father
not knowing who I am. His memories of me were from years ago. He
wasn't expecting a 47 year old woman. His nick-name for me was "that
big girl". I'm not big LOL But I'm bigger than he and my mother.

The sad thing is my brother was just here last week. I tried to tell
him then she's starting to lose some of her cognitive abilities. His
comment about the 1978 thing was "at least she got the 8 right!" Um,
sure, that makes it all better. He's in denial.

Jill

In case you've not yet noticed, Jill, men seem to have a much greater
facility for that than women do. (In objective assessments of their
personal appearances, too - most obese women do their best to cover up
the worst of it, whereas how many males do you see mowing their lawns
topless in shorts, with enormous bellies bulging over their belts?)

hopitus wrote:
On Oct 9, 10:48 am, "jmcquown" wrote:
MaryL wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
So, the doctor from Senior Health Associates came out yesterday and
examined Mom. First he sat and talked with me for about 30 minutes
and took some notes about her overall condition. Then he examined
her. A couple of things disturbed me, though. He had her walk out and
sit with us in the living room and he did some cognitive tests. When he
asked what year it is she said, "1978". He glanced at me,
then asked her again. 1978. (sigh) She knows her street address but
not the city or state she lives in. (Yet she can count backwards
from 100 in increments of 7. Hell, I can't even do that!)
The other thing is he asked her is how often she walks out to the
kitchen. She told him she walks to the kitchen 3-4 times a day to
get a snack. I was so surprised I exclaimed, "Mom! You do not!" She got
mad and yelled at me for contradicting her. She doesn't
walk anywhere but to the bathroom and once in a while the TV room
anymore. That's it.
snip
The type of responses your mother gave -- incorrect date (off by 30
years!) and her insistence that she is making more trips to the
kitchen than she actually does -- are often early signs of dementia.
Yes, I know. My father had full blown Alzheimers. He had no idea who I was
when I came here last December. The social worker from one of the home
health agencies I met with (about getting someone in here to help with
bathing Mom) said something that made perfect sense about my father not
knowing who I am. His memories of me were from years ago. He wasn't
expecting a 47 year old woman. His nick-name for me was "that big girl".
I'm not big LOL But I'm bigger than he and my mother.

The sad thing is my brother was just here last week. I tried to tell him
then she's starting to lose some of her cognitive abilities. His comment
about the 1978 thing was "at least she got the 8 right!" Um, sure, that
makes it all better. He's in denial.

Jill

Since bro is not in charge of anything except your winged pet I see
no
need to be concerned re his acknowledgement of you Mom's problems,
physical or otherwise. You are playing with a full deck and keep up
with what's important about her.
I don't like repeating myself and I know it's a yawn but AFA bro, if
you
haven't already, protect your assets and Mom's from him and the other
one, ok?

I second that! After a lifetime of trusting my relatives (since I
figured they'd inherit from me, anyway) I got a very rude awakening when
that (step)niece ripped me off for nearly $55,000 in savings inherited
from my natural father by way of my mother. (I'm tempted to shake her
up by sending her a 1099-MISC for that amount at the end of the year - I
couldn't legally send the report it to the IRS, of course, but she
wouldn't need to know that!)

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:
jmcquown wrote:
MaryL wrote:

The type of responses your mother gave -- incorrect date (off by 30
years!) and her insistence that she is making more trips to the
kitchen than she actually does -- are often early signs of dementia.

The sad thing is my brother was just here last week. I tried to tell
him then she's starting to lose some of her cognitive abilities. His
comment about the 1978 thing was "at least she got the 8 right!" Um,
sure, that makes it all better. He's in denial.

In case you've not yet noticed, Jill, men seem to have a much greater
facility for that than women do. (In objective assessments of their
personal appearances, too - most obese women do their best to cover up
the worst of it, whereas how many males do you see mowing their lawns
topless in shorts, with enormous bellies bulging over their belts?)


This would be the same men who thought Speedos were a good idea?! LOLOL

Jill

hopitus wrote:
On Oct 9, 10:48 am, "jmcquown" wrote:
MaryL wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
The sad thing is my brother was just here last week. I tried to
tell him then she's starting to lose some of her cognitive
abilities. His comment about the 1978 thing was "at least she got
the 8 right!" Um, sure, that makes it all better. He's in denial.

Jill

Since bro is not in charge of anything except your winged pet I see
no
need to be concerned re his acknowledgement of you Mom's problems,
physical or otherwise. You are playing with a full deck and keep up
with what's important about her.
I don't like repeating myself and I know it's a yawn but AFA bro, if
you
haven't already, protect your assets and Mom's from him and the other
one, ok?

My parents had already added him to their bank account (we're both listed as
co-owners on the checking account and POD - beneficiaries - on the money
market account I opened for her). But when he was here he was all up in the
business about her investments. He doesn't have access to those accounts,
not that the market has done anything but decline in the last month or so.

He's pretty much trying to sell the house out from under her. He's already
looking into replacing the floor and counters in the kitchen (with an eye on
how much we can get back in return upon sale). Hello? She's not dead. You
don't own the house. So cut it out!

I'm doing the best I can. It ticks him off no end I have legal power of
attorney

Jill