3:15 AM – I had an idea about Mom’s TV watching and decided to look up recommended TV channels that might be suitable for Alzheimer’s patients. There were 2 of them that I found: TV Land and Turner Classic Movies. I settled on TV Land to give that a try since they are shorter programs and they have several older shows that she might enjoy. I’m wondering if the Travel Channel programming might have been causing problems with the Ghost Hunter style shows that they have on there sometimes. Hopefully she doesn’t give me any problems with the change and the shows help with her mood!
10:55 AM – It’s probably too soon to know for sure if the TV idea is working, but she’s been wearing the headphones around the house, hasn’t said anything about it being on a different channel and most notably, hasn’t been talking to her invisible people (to my knowledge.) She has been up and down the stairs several times, which is why I’m awake right now, but is currently upstairs doing a find the word puzzle, silently. The channel guide shows that Bonanza is on right now, but it was The Andy Griffith Show earlier. I’m going to try to go back to sleep now. Hopefully things continue to stay quiet.
3:15 PM – It’s really annoying when she moves something, then claims she didn’t do it. I have a coffee bean can that has a vacuum plug and sealed cap on it I keep in a lower cabinet. I found it in the refrigerator with the plug removed. Mom happened to be standing there and I casually commented that this can stays in the cabinet. She immediately got bent out of shape and claimed that she didn’t do it. I replied, “I’m just saying, this goes in a cabinet, not in the fridge.” I have to say, at least she left me alone for the most part today. No stomping, no loud talking. She did wake me up a few times going up and down the stairs. I’ve gotten to be such a light sleeper that just the creaking of the stairs will wake me. In a way, that’s probably a good thing. She’s in the kitchen, rocking in her chair and drinking a cup of coffee quietly.
4:00 PM – Mom used to like watching M*A*S*H, but was sitting in the kitchen. I let her know that it was coming on and she hurried upstairs to watch it. She’s up there quietly watching it now. Out of the blue, she said, “If you think I’ve stolen something like that, then you need to get out of here. This old house wouldn’t handle a piano.”
5:35 PM – The conversation has shifted to reminding someone that they’ve been dead for a while now and that I have a hot red Camaro and she has an Echo. She also thinks that I’ve already left for work (oddly enough, she came downstairs right after talking about me leaving for work and didn’t say a word to me or act like she was surprised I was still here.) I haven’t yet, but it’s almost time for me to get ready, so this is probably going to be the last update for the night unless I see something while I’m at work worth posting about. So, good night!