ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

After mom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, it is quite a challenge for us to adapt with the 'new her' who suddenly can no longer recognize us and lose her ability to take care of herself. 

But times helps, step by step we try to learn to understand her. 

She eats well and cooperates when we clean and bathe her. But getting her dressed is the real challenge. She just dozed off - every times - after we dried her, leaving us struggling to lift her - she' quite heavy - to put on her clothes and diapers. 

And when she woke up, she started pulling up her diaper and trying to tear it off.  With her curses and her 'flying kicks', it took quite sometimes to calm her. That's our battle, every times we changed her diapers and every times she remembers the word 'toilet'!

Recently we have to change her 'batik sarongs' to stretchable trousers because she keeps pulling up her her sarongs. Sometimes she just took it off, exposing herself 'down there'. She still pulls her trousers up as you can see in the video but at least that only exposed her legs, not became half-naked like before.

'Batek sarongs'

She likes to unbutton her blouse so we just put on her 'baju opah'. ('Baju Opah' means grandma's blouse in Malay. It is caled 'Baju Opah' because the blouse is usually worn by old women. Younger woman likes to wear it at home because it's practical. 'Opah' means grandma in Malay. 'Baju means blouse, shirt, tshirt, dress and the similars).

'Baju Opah'

We also have to keep her jewelry because she kept taking them off and just simply threw her gold rings, her gold bangles and even her gold necklace any where, any time. 

We get her grey hair trimmed at the saloon nearby after my little niece, Yaya said “Takut mek nanggar rambut nenek!” (more or less means “Gandma’s hair scare me!”)

WHAT IS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE ?

Dementia is a loss of brain function. Dementia occurs with certain diseases. Alzheimer's disease, is one form of dementia. Alzheimer's disease gets worse over time. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior.

13 Symptoms in Azheimer's Diseases :

1.    Often waking up at night

2.    Delusions, depression and agitation

3.    Difficulty doing basic tasks

4.    Difficulty reading or writing

5.    Forgetting details about current events

6.    Forgetting events in your own life history -  losing awareness of who you are

7.    Hallucinations, arguments, striking out, and violent behavior

8.    Poor judgment and loss of ability to recognize danger

9.  Using the wrong word, mispronouncing words, speaking in confusing sentences

10.  Withdrawing from social contact

11.  If the Azheimer's Diseases is severe, you 
-  can no longer understand language

-  can no longer recognize family members

-  can no longer perform basic activities of daily living, such as eating, dressing, and bathing

12.  Incontinence

13.  Swallowing problems