I replied to someone else about the fact mom has not spit food at me yet. Well today it wasn't "at me" but she did spit it out.

I was trying to cut moms afternoon anger/aggitation off at the pass. I decided to give her 1/2 an ativan before she started to get on a roll. I put the med on her tongue but she wouldn't drink any water to wash it down. I finally put the water in her mouth and she promptly spread her legs and spit out the water and the pill.

I was thinking okay - let's outsmart the fox. I went to the fridge took out her jello - put another 1/2 ativan in the spoonful of jello and she ate it right up!! (er... that reminds me. I need to go get that 1/2 a pill she spit on the floor )

We had a peaceful dinner. She didn't go to sleep, in fact she was upright in her chair the whole time and seemed to be in a good mood. After the morning we had that was a relief.

Good for you. There are more ways than one to skin a cat.LOL

"Spoke too soon!"

Yeah... With dementia, I've learned not to say "that hasn't happened to me yet" because I found that as soon as I do... it does.

Be thankful the thread you said that in wasn't a "finger painting with poop" thread.

Pills in jello - brilliant!

Better living through chemistry. Amen.

Can you only begin to imagine what it was like during the pioneer days or beginning of the century? No meds. No modern conveniences.

Dealing with something like this must have been horrendous. And, some day they will be talking about us like that too I suppose.

"Can you only begin to imagine what it was like during the pioneer days or beginning of the century? No meds. No modern conveniences."

No AD. I don't think many people lived long enough to develop it. I had a "black sheep" uncle in the family a few generations back who "went crazy" and shot himself on the front lawn. I wonder now if it was dementia. I think AD patients in the "olden days" were probably just committed to the asylumns.

[quote]replied to someone else about the fact mom has not spit food at me yet. Well today it wasn't "at me" but she did spit it out.

I was trying to cut moms afternoon anger/aggitation off at the pass. I decided to give her 1/2 an ativan before she started to get on a roll. I put the med on her tongue but she wouldn't drink any water to wash it down. I finally put the water in her mouth and she promptly spread her legs and spit out the water and the pill.

I was thinking okay - let's outsmart the fox. I went to the fridge took out her jello - put another 1/2 ativan in the spoonful of jello and she ate it right up!! (er... that reminds me. I need to go get that 1/2 a pill she spit on the floor )

We had a peaceful dinner. She didn't go to sleep, in fact she was upright in her chair the whole time and seemed to be in a good mood. After the morning we had that was a relief.[/quote]

Isn't it amazing what you can hide in yogurt, jello, pudding and mashed potatoes.. tee hee

[quote]I think AD patients in the "olden days" were probably just committed to the asylumns.[/quote]
I think you are probalby right NDuke.. too sad..

Happy Mom,
Ativan comes in a gel called Lorazepam, all you have to do is rub it on the skin and it works really fast - No pills to swallow We get it thru Hospice (Lorazepam 0.5mg/ml gel) See if your doc can get your Mom some... It's a miracle... One less pill to swallow...

Because the pioneers often lived with extended families in small homes, it was not unusual to have a frail elder or other disabled family member. Many homes had a large wooden cradle, just like a baby's cradle which was kept in the main room by the fire and rocked by all.

The Shakers, because they always had a large population of elderly kept one or more rooms in the main house as an infirmary and they had multiple adult cradles. You can see these at Hancock Shaker Village in Western Massachusetts. I'm sure that they used opiates such as laudnum to calm them. It was commonly given to colicky babies well into the 1900's.

"Isn't it amazing what you can hide in yogurt, jello, pudding and mashed potatoes.. tee hee"

Ya know... I wonder if that's what was going through my stepmom's head about bookshelves, pillows, desk drawers and any dark corner when she was... umm... making her underwear more comfortable for sitting?

ytram, interesting facts! I've been through so many historic houses and buildings and I can't think that I EVER heard that before. Probably afraid they'd scare the tourists. :/