I rest my case

Neverends

Long story  short. Took mother to her podiatry appointment with a new podiatrist.  I told them beforehand  she suffers from dementia. As she was seated in his exam chair he began asking her questions.  I had previously  told him she cannot appropriately answer questions. He essentially told me to " let her answer the questions" He looks at her and says" so who is this lady with you ?"  Mother says " that's my husband "  I rest my case.

SusanB-dil

Yup!     i hear ya!

Jo C.

Omigosh, "Never," here I am chuckling at the end result.  Thanks for sharing that.  What was the Podiatrist's reaction?   People who have never experienced dementia close up and personal often have absolutely no idea.

I noticed by your Profile that you have worked in the long term care field for quite some time which certainly gives you much understanding and skills. I am an RN with much experience in the acute hospital setting.  Like you, I found it quite different caring for a LO with dementia in the home setting versus what it was like in a professional care setting, and that is an understatement.  My LO had a behavioral variant of FTD.  It was like Alz's on steroids. 

Have you been able to determine whether or not a bed would be opening up for your mother any time soon?  Is she on a waiting list?  So hope that now that things seem to loosening up a bit, that you can soon reach the desired result with your planning.

Well; guess the Podiatrist will think twice before he uses a blanket approach again.   I can only imagine what you were thinking and probably internally grinning. 

J.

Wilted Daughter

...he asked for it! Perhaps it was the foot doctor's way of testing her cognition. Sometimes we think we know a  lot about everything when in fact we know a  lot about a little.  

Thanks for sharing it made me laugh

Neverends

The podiatrist  just looked at  me with a dumb look. He told her he was going to cut her toenails and she was getting anxious and became resistive.  I held her hand, started  my fiblet story and pretty soon he was done. As I was leaving  his office he said" Your really good with her" .  Thanks doc, haha.   Yes joC my  mom is on the placement  list. I just filled out another application for another VA  hospital. About 50 miles from me.  I called the other facility  where I worked and they said admissions  are opening up but going slow.  Oh one more thing that podiatrist  was soooo handsome!. Haha

toolbeltexpert

Sorry I can't help myself. That was a foot In mouth washing. I hate it when you try your hardest but they just don't listen. Neverends  I hope you have a great day.

LicketyGlitz

I think we've all been through that! I put up with it the first time, the next time I was not nice. Not nice at all.

Iris L.

Unfortunately, many professionals who work with older adults are clueless about what dementia means.  Don't leave your PWD alone with these types!  

Iris

Marta

I do ask loved ones to hold their comments until the dementia patient has answered my questions. It is part of a mental status exam. It doesn’t mean that the loved ones’ contributions are not valued - they are critical.

harshedbuzz

Neverends-

My question is are you the son or the daughter here? If you're the former, this is funny "ha ha" but if you're daughter it is "spit out my coffee" level funny. 

HB

RanchersWife

My LO’s podiatrist is handsome too.  Lol.

dayn2nite2

OMG this gave me the best laugh today.  I get it.  I have to be so careful not to assume that ANYTHING I tell the medical provider is believed because often I'm proved wrong.

When my mom was still alive, both she and her roommate in the NH thought the other was a man (both were female).  They would complain to me "tell that man to go to sleep" or "why is there a man in my room."  The weirdest thing.  I would just play along and say "sir, it's time for sleeping" or whatever.  

One of my mom's roommates was a real pistol.  Mom would be watching TV out in the common room and I'd go to her room to put clothes away (I did laundry because the industrial detergents destroyed the clothes and there seemed to be less lost clothing with me doing it) and I wouldn't put a light on so I wouldn't wake her roommate.  Curtain was drawn, and I'd lay the folded clothes on the bed and a little voice would come from the other side of the curtain "Am I dead?"  I'd reply "no, XXX, you're not dead, I'm putting some clothes away." and she'd just say "okay that's good." and go back to sleep.

Neverends

In the midst of all this sadness it is healing to find some humor for all of us, amen.

Neverends

Harshedbuzz, I am her daughter. Haha

Stuck in the middle

People jump to conclusions.  I was in a restaurant when I was about 70 with a group of male and female colleagues.  The others were in their 30s except one woman who was about 62 and who chose to sit beside me.  We asked for separate checks and got them, except the older woman and me.  The waitress gave me a check for the two of us.  I guess we looked like a couple.

Neverends, women do marry sometimes.  Just be glad your mother didn't say you were her wife!

Wilted Daughter

Well since you said he's handsome that changes things...

   

harshedbuzz

Neverends wrote:

Harshedbuzz, I am her daughter. Haha

Neverends-

You win the internet today.

HB

mommyandme (m&m)

I think this deserves a wine party!

abc123

Thank YOU Neverends! I laughed out loud and I'm still smiling! 

PS. I'd love to have a handsome podiatrist. My plumber is easy on the eyes! And he makes me laugh!  I had to call him again this week!