JOAN’S BLOG – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 – ACTIVITY IS THE KEY

“Gee, Honey, you sure look exhausted. Are you okay?”, I asked with some concern when Sid came home at 5:30 PM Thursday, after having left the house at 7:30 AM for an all day excursion to the Isle Casino.

“Tired. Been up for 12 hours”, came the mumbled reply.

“Well, after supper, take a little nap in your recliner, because tomorrow you have water aerobics at 10 AM, and I am dropping you at the van at 12:30 for the Alzheimer Support Group trip to the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute”, I cheerfully reminded him.

The articles and studies tell us that Alzheimer patients whose mind, body, and social lives are kept active, will maintain their cognitive function longer that those who are idle. I don’t know about that, but from our experiences of the last 3 weeks living at the Independent Villas, my own unprofessional opinion is that at least if they’re active, they’re too tired to complain, argue, whine, and aggravate their caregivers.

In the last month, my husband has been on four different outings, attends weekly water aerobics, has another restaurant trip coming up on Monday, got together with his support buddies for an afternoon of simple card games, and now is part of a monthly tour group started by our Alzheimer Support Group. In that amount of time, there has only been one outburst, and it was related to the driving (see blog below). Most of the time now, he is too busy or too tired from all the fun to be miserable and take it out on me.

I do see an overall decline in comprehension, memory, and orientation, but there is supervision when he needs it, and he is still functional enough to participate in, and enjoy certain activities. He is aware of his deficits, which is why he has chosen not to participate in the card tournaments at the ALF, where I have been told, the competition is intense. He has chosen not to try the “brain games” or the “trivia”, as he knows he would not be able to keep up. That is fine. He is here to have fun, be active, and not stress over what he can no longer do.

Since I am the young chick on the block  (comparatively speaking), our neighbors question why we are living here. We are totally honest immediately, and tell them that we moved to the Villas because Sid was diagnosed with AD; that he was getting worse, and that he needed the socialization and activity. I was pleased to hear words of support at the restaurant Monday night when our next door neighbor, who has gotten to know Sid on the trips, said, “He’s doing great!”

Regardless of your spouse’s level of functioning, I do believe that engaging in activities that correspond with their abilities, is beneficial for them. I have researched and toured many facilities, including Day and Residential. I went to one facility that had a circular outdoor “park”, where residents were free and safe to pace back and forth and around, without getting lost or being reprimanded. There is a wide differential between going fishing and pacing; between playing bingo and folding towels; between playing cards and making marks with crayons, but the idea is the same. Whether it is at an Independent Living Facility; Day Care; an Assisted Living Facility; or a Nursing Facility, it is far better for them to be busy doing what gives them pleasure and is compatible with their capability, than doing nothing. 

I would be remiss if I did not mention the conferences I have attended in which music and art therapy was discussed. Click on the links for more information.

So there we have it – one very tired AD husband, who is a lot happier than when he was sitting home, bored, reminding me constantly that he was in “prison.”  After Monday, the social schedule is quiet for awhile. I will have to put him to work unpacking more boxes. Yes, there are still more boxes to unpack.

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The Alzheimer Spouse LLC
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