Tips for Thanksgiving

In past years we used to get together with lots of family members, being latinos you know that can get large.  We have started to just be my sister her kids, my Dad and myself because it's less distracting for my Mom.

I just read this article and wish I would have read this article years ago, hope this helps someone out:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/20/health/dementia-alzheimer-thanksgiving/index.html

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

A Caregivers job doesn't end at 5pm

A Caregivers job doesn't end after 8 hours, I was looking forward to my pjs, hot chocolate and football game. At least they didn't think I was the sick one this time, she is so adorable even when she's not feeling all well

The Flu Season is Upon Us

As we have entered flu season I made sure my Mom got her flu shot and this year I remembered to get mine too. Since I always seem to get the flu or pneumonia and even H1n1 one year i prepared myself with a emergency bag.

Since everyone has their own lives I can't expect for people to drop what they are doing to take care of me when I get sick so in my bag I put couple of bottles of gaterode, cans of chicken soups, crackers, extra bags and keep it near the stairs so I don't forget when I end up sick I also added some soup for my Mom that she likes so it will be easier for me to hear up when I'm not feeling well

Voting

My Mom has been a US Citizen for almost 40 years and is a true American she loves her adoptive country deeply and I recall her saying because it saw give birth to two of her daughters and gave her kids opportunities that we would not have had back in her home country of Ecuador.

I noticed the presidential election we had before she was officially diagnosed she had issues in her voting booth but I thought it was because they were using the computers for the first time because I was confused too. Once she was diagnosed I knew she still would want to do her American duty that she said many died to have so we started doing voting by mail. I already know what her way of voting was before and I observe her when she watches the news to see how she feels regarding a particular candidate or measure. I also try to catch her good days and we go over the ballot pamphlet but she does get tired, it takes us a good one month to get our ballots done but it worth it because I know I'm helping her still feel like she's doing her American duty

A typical Friday night for us

Playing her Leap Frog memory or flash card games is such a great way for my Mom to use her brain but it's also a nice bonding moment for us.

Dancing Queen

My Mom enjoys dancing and even though she gets tired when there are people around she seems to dance a bit longer which is wonderful for her brain but also to sleep better at night.

When the lucid times come around...it hurts more

A few week back I was taking my Mom to a family get together and on our way to pick up another Aunt she turns to me and say "you are 25 right?" and I replied saying no I'm 36 (I round up) and she moved her face away from and I tried to look over to her side as we were driving and I see she is crying.  I asked what was wrong and she said "she couldn't believe that she can't remember 11 years of my life, she can't believe how her head is giving up on her."  I had to pull over and join her on the cry fest, I told her not to worry about it that this why I was here for, to help her remember.  Then I told her "oh no I forgot the pasta" she laughed and the moment where she was lucid and all there for a moment left us as fast as it came by.

It hurts me when she asks me things like how about how many Grandkids she has but it's the moments when Alz is gone and my Mom is completely lucid and she realizes that she has the disease and it is stealing her memories.  This is disease has no other word that "evil" because you know there is no cure for it and nobody wants to forget their loved ones and happy memories.  For that moment I was glad Alz came back so my Mom wouldn't hurt anymore.

Seeing the disease progress

The last month I've witness this horrible disease take my Mom's memories more and it feels like a knife gets wedged into my heart.

We had family visit from Spain, my Mom's eldest niece who she hasn't seen in about 50 years or so and that made my Mom very happy which I thank them for visiting with her the little time they had to spare. In one of our outings my Mom wasn't able to say how many Grandkids she had and this killed me. She was trying to tell her niece's daughter she had two then said no I think I have three or maybe it's two I think there's a boy and there's a girl her name is Alexys. My cousin's daughter helped my Mom said yes you have a grandson I turned around and said his name is Paul and turned back trying to hold my tears in.

I feel that she remembered my niece more because she's the only who wants to spend time with her Grandma and tries to be the best respite caregiver any Aunt can ask for her. She is patient with her Grandma and keeps her entertain by doing dance therapy and other activities but most of all she is her "Nina Bonita Su dulce princesa". Those are words my Mom always says to my niece.

Being in the right place at the right time

Today as I was running to set-up for the Zumbathon I remembered I had to get ice and other things but I don't like going to the Stater Bros by me so I was going to wait until I got closer to the clubhouse but for some strange reason I made a U-turn and went back to Stater Bros. We got what we needed and my Mom kept trying to walk away I had to keep asking her to stand nearby to not go too far awa

y the cashier looked at me and asked why we were wearing purple and what my purple wrist band said I told her we were on our way to an Alz event and purple is the color for support. She said "oh" and then went on 4 times to try to count my change back I asked her if she was okay she said her Mom was just diagnosed with early onset Alz, she is 55. I asked her how she was doing and she said she was lost and trying to understand it, I asked her if she had contacted to the Alz Assoc, said no, we went to the car and put a package together with helpful information. She was very thankful and kept hugging my Mom as I was telling her briefly about our journey. I guess it's true what they say, that God puts you in the path He needs you to be in. I hope she reaches out to the Alz Association.

5 year anniversary

5 years ago on 9/5/07, my Sister, Niece and Nephew and I walked into the Alzheimer's Association one sunny morning no longer as Volunteers but now as Clients :( Our Mom had a Doctor's appointment that afternoon to be officially diagnosed with Alzheim

er's although we already knew deep down but were in denial for years. I had been there dozens and dozens of times as a Volunteer since my Grandmother passed away from the disease in 2004 but this time I was so nervous and scared that as I waited for my Sis and her kids to get there I went to use to the bathroom but accidentally used the Men's room and didn't even notice until after our Family Orientation my Nephew pointed out that I had used the wrong restroom and didn't even notice it and we all laughed/cried. Since then that's exactly what we have been doing laughing and crying as we see this horrible disease take away our beautiful Mom/Grandmother from us everyday little by little, it's a disease I don't wish on my worse enemy. It's the most heartbreaking disease to see the woman who was your strength and rock for so many years look at you with those vacant eyes at times not being able to get the right word to answer something or remember who she just got off the phone with. Please help and be part of finding a cure for this disease that affects 1 out of 8 people over the age of 65 and 1 out of 2 over the age of 85. You can come out to our Zumbathons on 9/9 in Corona or 9/16 in Huntington Beach and/or be part of A Walk to Remember Team on 9/22. Thank you and God Bless.

Day Two of World Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Memorization

Memorizing something like all the US Presidents along with their VPs or what state they served would be a great way to help exercise your brain

We all know the US States, so how about memorizing all State capitals.  

You can find anything to memorize as you wish, the constellations, or another's countries Presidents if you already know all the ones in the US and you want to challenge yourself more.

Remember to have fun with it so you keep doing it.

Finding activities

I had to run out to the store the other day and my Mom was getting restless so I found these buckets with different fake fruit on each, they were mixed up so I said it was sad people mess up the employees hard work so she agreed and started to put the fruit in the proper bucket as I kept shopping next to her. I would ask her what do you have in your hand and what is its name in English since she only speaks spanish. I found something to keep her entertained as well as having her use her brain muscles to think as she she doing something. I also had her tell me the colors in spanish and English.

September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month!

September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month!  Do something different today to exercise your brain by using the opposite hand to operate your computer mouse, brush your teeth, dial the phone, to eat, or use the remote. Your brain is learning a new skill so it may feel uncomfortable at first!


August has passed and it was a extremely busy month for us, we started giving back to the Alzheimer's Association a bit more by setting-up a information/walk to end Alzheimer's table at Angel Stadium and so far we have had great results with people getting information they needed and many have signed up for the upcoming walks.

September will be very busy for us with Zumbathons-for-a-Cure to end Alzheimer's coming up on 9/9 from 10am - 12 noon at Shake it up Club at 440 River Run Road, Corona and on 9/16 from 2:00 to 4:00pm at Continentals Clubhouse at 19801 Brookhurst, Huntington Beach, the cost is $15 in advance and $20 at the door, you can email me at gigiam77@yahoo.com or my sister-in-law Zumba Instructor Frances Moran at francessantillan@msn.com.

We continue to take it one day at a time with my Mom's disease and taking deep breaths as the disease progresses.

Getting out of the house

As Alzheimer's progresses I've noticed it getting harder to get my Mom out of bed, that's were therapeutical fibs come in.

She can and will stay in bed all day if she is able to but I try to keep her as active as possible. When the weekends come she especially wants to stay in bed of course I let her stay in since we all need to rest but once I notice she its more of a depression or laziness I tell her that it's a weekday and she gets up really fast which works wonders. If its later in the day I try coaching her to get out if bed or tell her I have a surprise trip for her which she loves hearing Trying to find the right words can be tricky and do not work all the time that's when I'm thankful for Alzheimer's and that she will forget in ten minutes then we can try it all over again and hope for the best.

There have been times I have had to treat her as a child and be playful and tell her that the doggies will get her if she doesn't get out if bed and that has worked in the past, it's all about trial and error.

The one thing that will not work is of we as Caregivers get upset and raise our voices. They are still our loved ones and need to be showed respect even though it might be hard at times when we are stressing trying to get out the door we are running late that's why I plan our trips out of the house in the later mornings and give me a few hours to get us ready.

Respite Time

As a Caregiver having respite time is very essential to not only the well-being of the Caregiver but of the Loved One/Patient with the disease. 

At times I feel guilty that I need to say "I need time off!" because I personally feel that I am saying I don't love my Mom but it's the opposite I have learned.  I love my Mom so much that I need a break once in a while to just regroup and rest so I can be a better Caregiver for her and not have any resentment or become so exhausted that I become ill myself. 

I know my life has changed tremendously from five years ago when I used to come and go and do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted but now someone else depends on me and my time is restricted but I am thankful that I have my Sister Alby, my Niece Alexys who are in this journey with us.  We also have a Friend of the family, Charise who has become my Mom's number one Companion and my Mom is always saying how Charise is another Daughter that God has sent her.  I am very blessed to have them in my life and help make caregiving a bit easier to handle. 

Respite time can be anything that a Caregiver makes it out be.  It could be going on a week long vacation to taking an hour away to get their nails done, getting coffee with a friend, watching a movie,  or going for a walk around the block.  As long as a Caregiver gets some away time to recharge that's what is the most important for both the Caregiver and Patient.

Activities to keep the brain active

To help my Mom keep her brain activeand help slow the Alzheimer's process we do many activities that I havementioned in the past such as:

- Word searches

- Music therapy

- Dance therapy

- Language therapy

- Memory games such as Leap Frogmemory card games

- Flash cards - Presidents andUnited States trivia games

- Taking Omega Fish oil

- Playing puzzles

- We volunteer with our localnon-profits

(Check out your county's Alzheimer's association for volunteer opportunities)

For those of us without Alzheimer'swe can do the same activities as above but we can also do some other ones I amlisting below:

- Learn a different language

- Write and eat with the oppositehand you are used to

- Put on our pants using the otherleg instead of the usual one first (we are used to doing this without thinkingat time so if we do something different that the brain is not used to, it willmake our brain work a bit more)

- Eating foods rich in omega fishoil or taking omega vitamins

- Playing crosswords or Sudoku

- Exercising at least 30 minutes 5days a week, it can be as easy as walking 30 minutes a day

- Pick up a book (and read it!)

- Sign-up for dance classes

Having fun

We were invited to a friend's birthday hoe-down last Saturday 7/14 and Mom had fun with the miniature horses, animals are great therapy for the elderly. She also now loves funny hats and Mickey ears, this one was a party favor which will be included to get collection of funny hats.

Music and Dance Therapy

Here is a picture of Mom listening to boleros from Ecuador and dancing El San Juanito like she used to when she was younger. The music brings back good memories for her and the dancing part even though it's only half a song gets her up and moving. This continues for about an hour and she truly enjoys it.

Happy 4th of July

Family, friends, food and fireworks!!! Perfect time to get together with loved ones. When someone has Alzheirmer's plans don't always go as planned.

I wanted to go out to the Huntington Beach parade with friends but Mom didn't want to get out if bed. Long story short we weren't having breakfast until 11am only because I told her Starbucks was having free coffee today. Sometimes you just have roll with the punches and try to enjoy the time given.

My Mom although born in Ecuador is a true patriotic, I bought her a American flag with all the states on it and she loves it. I saw this pillow in a trip to Missouri and knew I had to get it for her. She reads out all the states on the pillow on many nights which I love hearing her call them out.

Happy 4th of July to all.

Memory Tools

To help keep my Mom's memory as active as possible and help the slow down of Alzheimer's we do different activities.  When we are not out doing errands and going to festivals and public events we are at home playing Leap Frog: My Card Games such as Bilingual Memory Game which although her English is limited I still have her "learn" English by playing this game.  They are simple names such fruit, animals, and such.  

I also have the Ecuadorian channel on our Direct TV package that brings her memories of her younger years back in her home country.  

We play Ecuadorian music as well from YouTube which helps us get to know her more at times when she tells us stories we have not heard before, we also dance to the music when she is up to it.

I subscribed her to National Geographic in Spanish few years back and we kept the magazines and she reads them over.  The same goes for the word search magazines that she loves playing the games, the words are in English so it's another benefit when I see her run to get her dictionary to look up the definition in Spanish.

Another tool we use are President flash cards that I got from Target, the story behind those cards were that a Teacher in front of me was buying all of them and when I saw that she had over 30 in her basket I asked her where she found them so I can get one for my Mom and she said she had taken all of them and asked why for my Mom, I explained she had Alzheimer's and I find ways to keep her brain working, she smiled and went ahead and bought all of them then turned back and gave me one.  I wish I could thank her for generosity.  We play with these flashcards about once a week and she loves reading the back of them, she even finds some of them "handsome."  I go over what we call the "simple" Presidents to remember although she now gets our First President and 16th President mixed up, other times she is very lucid and even remembers her favorite President.  (President Kennedy)

Weight loss and Alzheimer's

As most Caregivers who are caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's we see how they lose weight as the disease progress. My Mom has gone down to almost 100lbs so we started a protein powder that is sugar free and suppose to help her gain weight. We have been doing it for about one month and we saw a family friend, Jose, two weekends ago and the first thing out of his mouth was "Mom is gaining weight". I felt as if I just won the lottery, it felt so good that someone noticed, since I'm with her everyday I don't really see it. I mix the powder with fruit and juice and make her a smoothie and she loves it.

Pets are great therapy

Part of what I believe has helped my Mom and the slow progression of her disease. Lucky and Bella are always following my Mom around and she says she feels needed by them.

Finally watering the plants and trees

The last six months it has been very difficult to get my Mom to water the plants and trees she has taken care of with so much love for as long as we have lived here so for to water them today is amazing. I had to do but of coaching and sounding useless for her to volunteer to water them. I asked her how do I turn on the water hose if it's the to right or left and she took it from me and said she would do it herself and it worked. Let's hope it works next week too.

3 Generations

Poster made for when we went to Sacramento to speak to Assemblymen and Senator's office regarding Governor Brown cutting IHSS (In Home Supportive Services and Caregiver Resources Center) on March 28, 2012.  Also took this poster to our Nation's Capitol on April 25th when we went to speak to our Congressmen and Congresswoman regarding supporting the Hope and Breakthrough Acts.

A little history

My beautiful Mother, Alba Yolanda Acosta de Moran was born on September 2, 1934 on the edge of Napo Postaza in Ecuador in South America but since the age of 7 months grew up in Quito the capital of Ecuador.  She was the eldest child of Anita and Humberto Acosta who had six children together.

She met my Father Genaro Antonio Moran in Quito at the age of 28, less than two years later they were married in 1962 and the following year my brother Genaro Luis Moran was born in Quito.  Two years later my Father was offered a transfer in Los Angeles by the American company he was working for in Ecuador, he thought it would be a perfect chance to come and try to make a better living for his family so he took the opportunity and two years later on December 28, 1967 he sent for my Mom and my brother who lived in a apartment in Los Angeles for several years.  In the Spring of 1969 my sister Alba Moran-Oosterhouse was born and continued to live in L.A. while my Mom stayed home raising their two children.

My Father was offered a job in Santa Ana and instead of commuting  and wasting time in L.A. traffic that would keep him from him family, he decided it was time for them to move to Orange County were they rented an apartment for six months until they bought the house I was born in (not literally) but the only house I have known.  I was unexpected surprise, well at least to my Father, my Mother knew she wanted to another child but my Father was content with his little boy and little girl, my Mom kept it a secret from him for many months until she couldn't hide me anymore.  She has told me the first 5 months were perfect she had no morning sickness but things changed at 5 months and long story short I was born two months later, premie at 3.5 lbs and 21 inches and not breathing.  She has told me that she kept asking why I wasn't crying and the nurses kept telling her it was okay that the doctors were doing the best they could then she heard me crying and was rushed to Long Beach Memorial Hospital were they had the machines to treat me.  She has told me that when my Sister (who was 8 years) saw me through the window and said I looked like E.T., my Mom said she didn't get to hold me in her arms until I was 3 weeks old.

My Mother worked from the moment I could remember and my parents would work opposite shifts so their kids would not be left with babysitters or nannies which gave them little time for themselves.  At age 15 they separated and divorced when I was 18 after 32 years of marriage.  My Mother was always depended on my Father to deal with all of the household and financial situations so that role sort of fell on me after they separated, she started to depend on me more and more and for the emotional support because not only was she dealing with the end of her marriage but also with a diagnosis of breast cancer when I was 15.  We had to figure out how to continue to pay for the house, utilities and most importantly keeping her alive.  With 32 days of radiation and an abidance love of her family and friends it helped her but she was still very depressed for what happening in her life.  After her recovery from her breast surgery and treatment she was depressed for one year, doctors tried to treat it with medication but she wouldn't take it until she cried to me that she didn't want to live anymore and I told her that I needed her to live for me to fight for us because it just be the two of us but that should be enough.  I don't know if that was it was or that she now had two Grandkids, Alexys Adonay and Paul Anthony, who always bring a smile to her face even now that they are 18 and 19 years old.