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Hernando Today

Don't You See Them?

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 19, 2009

"They're breaking into the building next door. All the tools behind the building are being stolen."

Over and over Dad kept repeating this through an afternoon.

We walked over there four times in hope it would settle him down.

This is one of the cruel effects of Alzheimer's and one of the hardest for me to bear.

He's been suffering from this disease for practically the last decade, and what I've just described is one of its most heartrending facets.

Hallucinations and delusions are two of the most strenuous memory disorders for a caregiver.

You really have to pull out all your endurance to avoid losing patience which would make matters worse.

Years ago on a Memorial Day weekend, Dad took a gander out the kitchen window and asked: "What are those 25 people doing having dinner in our backyard?"

As things stand now, I would never even consider inviting that many guests because I persist in preserving him in a simple routine lifestyle and confusion at a minimum.

Truly, I believe this is your most important asset toward assisting a patient with Alzheimer's. Keep it simple.

If your patient is witnessing something they truly conceive is happening don't debate with them, period.

Instead, humor them with, "I just went out and checked. They must have just left."

You might have to take a walk outside and circle the house, at this point you probably need some fresh air or good old dirt kicking.

Whatever you do, don't argue with them.

It will only twist them further and you and they will likely be in for extended hours of madness.

I confess this is one of the really difficult situations for me to deal with as caregiver.

Just recently it was necessary to call my sister for back-up because I couldn't handle Dad's delusions one more minute.

Like a "horse rode too hard and put up wet," I needed open pasture and Sis came to the rescue.

The point? Alzheimer's patients can use you up.

She sat with him; I decided to sleep. Considered going for a long drive but was just too mentally exhausted.

It's amazing how the untrue will remain in their mind sometimes for days, then in a moment, something that just happened two minutes ago no longer exists.

What they're seeing, smelling or even tasting is as real to them as the love that will keep you going.

Gary Joseph Le Blanc is the primary caregiver of his father who has been stricken with Alzheimer's disease for more than 8 years. He can be written c/o Hernando Today at 15299 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613 or e-mailed at us41books@bellsouth.net.

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