Falling

11/15/2014

I wish that someone could just sit me down and say at this point of Alzheimer's this is what happens. Or if there was a test that you could give someone to see how far they have progressed into their disease.
JW has refused to use footed canes or a walker in the past but Mother is putting her foot down. JW has fell twice in the last 3 days. The first time Mother managed to get him back into his chair. The second time however I was leaving for work and found him kneeling in front of his recliner unable to get up. My heart starts racing and my mind is going a mile a minute trying to come up with some strategy to get him off the floor. I quickly ask my Mother to get the nylon belt that physical therapy gave me 4 years ago, when he broke his hip, to put around his waist to have some leverage. Then I remember I have a fracture in my back and I cannot pick him up alone. I go upstairs to our apartment to wake up my husband and have him come down to help me pick him up. JW is shaking so badly that I think he has gone into shock. We finally get him back in his chair and I have Mother cover him with one of his blankets and tell him if he cannot walk after a couple of hours that she may have to take him in to the hospital.
When something like this happens I get the utmost feeling of helplessness. We are doing all that we can to keep JW at home and I know that if he goes into managed care it is only a matter of time before we lose him. I know that sounds like I am on the pity pot but believe me I am not. We bought this house 14 years ago because I knew that when my parents needed help it would be me and my husband that would physically take care of them.
I'm not sure too many husbands would be as caring as mine and say "sure we can buy a 14 room house so your Mother and Father can move in with us." Believe me I have seen this man treat them both like precious treasures.
JW has been pampered to the limit and when the time comes that he has to go into the VA's Alzheimer's unit they will not be able to pamper him like we do.