Regressing

Maru · May 27

DH with ALZ…he has forgotten not only that he loves bbq ribs but also how to eat them. It suddenly occured to me that there have been a number of clues that his eating habits have regressed to early childhood. He now cuts all his foods …asparagus, long green beans, meats…into bite size pieces before eating. I asked him several weeks ago why he did that and he replied "that's what mom used to do." i see now that this part of him has changed.

The other thing is that I find I am having to wipe up small puddles around the toliet from his night time trips to the bathroom. This is pretty new.

And, now he can only remember one thing from a list of instructions. ie…put the bag of fertilizer on the top step, put it on the edge, make it facing the stairs downward. And, I can only ask him to do one thng at a time.

I am reminding myself that this is a slow and long goodbye to the man I married 66 years ago. Thanking God for all those years. Praying for wisdom and patience.

Iris L. · May 27

Be careful of meat. Make sure the pieces are small and not tough. Meat can be a choking hazard.

Iris

White Crane · May 27

Yes, as the disease progresses, eating habits change and regress. A couple of weeks ago, my DH did not know what a fork was.

upstateAnn · May 28

My DH now only eats soft foods….

annie51 · May 28

I have seen some strange eating habits come up as the disease progresses - mixing foods together, trying to cut pizza crust with knife and fork, etc. He will still eat everything I give him… and I mean EVERYTHING. He will ask for a spoon or use his fingers to get every last morsel of food, every last drop of sauce, syrup, salad dressing, whatever. I’m waiting for him to start licking the plate. 😋

SDianeL · May 28

They make disposable mats for around the toilet. A bright red toilet seat and well lit bathroom may also help.

M5M · May 31

My DH was having toileting issues with those drips and puddles…… I suggested he try sitting down….he was resistant at first but then tried it and realized it was much easier than standing, standing, trying to pee. He is unsteady at best anyway. I posted on this earlier, and one of the men mentioned that some men are not able to sit to pee…but for DH it works and works well. He is able to get "every last drop" done while seated and then gets up by holding onto the door handle. We also have a night light in the toilet area that makes it easier getting up at night.

SiberianIris · June 1

If he is reluctant to pee sitting down, there are stickers you can place in the toilet bowl that will give him something to aim towards. They have different designs, but I think the best ones look like a bullseye target in red and white. They're called Toilet Targets. People with dementia can have trouble seeing, so contrasting colors are helpful.

Palmetto Peg · June 1

A raised toilet seat with support bars on each side has made it easier to sit down to pee than to stand up - at least for my DH. He still needs some help getting up and down, but he isn't messing up the floor or dribbling down the front of his pants. I wish I had done this when he was still well! He is over 6 ft., and there was always a little puddle after he used the toilet! Good luck!

trottingalong · June 1

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/244492#Comment_244492

my husband also sits down to pee now. It’s been a blessing for sure.

Regressing

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