By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or
[email protected] to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
Knowledge is power. The book The 36 Hour Day is set up a bit like that old standby Dr. Spock for child raising. You can look up a topic and get all sorts of helpful info.
And don't forget to be kind to yourself. Arrange to have a day each week for you to get away and rewind. It could be read a good book at the library, lunch with friends, a walk in the woods, visit a myseum...anything. it will be a priceless gift to yourself to recharge.
Best of luck in these trying times.
Take advantage of any ways you can learn and gain some "How To" ideas. Deal with each behavior as it shows up. There is no one right way to solve each problem. Maybe you will be the one to figure out techniques that will help others.
As bizarre as some of your husband's behaviors may seem, they come from his declining ability to interact with the world in the way you are both used to. Be as open minded and creative as you can be.
Might I suggest that he may benefit from a swallowing evaluation - a referral can be made by his doctor. A certified physical therapist will have him swallow food and fluids of different consistencies as well as evaluate his swallowing. The therapist can then give you recommendations on how to adjust his food so it is easily swallowed and any movement problems that must be addressed.
And you need to have a break. Try to find someone that can sit with him for one afternoon a week. A few hours will do wonders, it helps your mental health and makes you a better caregiver in the long run.
I wish you peace and love on your journey.
It isn't possible for us to diagnose this w/o a qualified medical person, but that might be why he's spitting out food and medicine.
Others ask the doctor or pharmacy if they come in another form. Patches, liquid and suppository are all common ways to administer meds.
The spitting. I had that happen often. Sometimes I thought it was a texture thing there were other times when I think my Husband just didn't know how to swallow and instead of going down it would go out. Then the next mouthful would be fine.
(with dementia sometimes it is anyones guess as to what is going on)
Also finding a local caregiver support group can be very helpful as well. You can Google to see if there is one in your area. That's how I found the one that I have been apart of for the last 3 1/2 years, and it literally saved my life when I was caring for my husband. Being able to share with others that are going through the same or similar things as you, is life changing for sure. Most of course are still meeting on Zoom, but that is better than nothing.
Make sure that you're taking care of yourself as well, as you're just as important as he is. And if that means hiring someone to come in to stay with him a few days so you can get out and about, please do that.
And as far as him spitting out his medications, perhaps ask his Dr. if any of them come in liquid form that you can put in his drinks, or if any of them can be crushed and put in his liquids, as he may be having some swallowing issues, which can be a common issue with someone with Alzheimer's/dementia as the brain forgets how to tell the throat to close causing the food/liquids to go into the lungs instead of the stomach, and that can cause aspiration pneumonia.
It's a lot, I know. So the best thing you can do for yourself at this point, is educate yourself, so you feel better prepared when the changes come, and guaranteed they will.
I wish you strength and peace for your journey.