Anyone can tell when my MIL is visiting with us. I have labels everywhere! SIL says Mom can't do this, or that, but at my house she is very independent( as much as possible. I have labeled her eyebrow pencils to prevent her from using it for lipstick, and vice versa with the lipstick(oh, the sight of orange eyebrows!). I put "FOR EYEBROWS ONLY",or "LIPS ONLY" and it works. I label everything I can. Toothpaste, eyeglass holder, facial cream, toothbrush. I have signs on the outside of my cupboards-"CUPS", BOWLS","GLASSES", etc. She can actually get herself a cup of coffee if I have remembered to put the sign on. She can help set the dinner table. I have one of those "Brother-P-touch" labelers, and the largest letters are very big.I have even been able to put labels on the "off" and "on" for the remote control, and she is proud that she can do it herself. She only watches one channel unless I change it, but she doesn't mind. I have been having trouble with her dressing. I will help her choose an outfit, leave the room so she can change, then a few minutes later she is asking me what she is to wear, and she is digging through the drawers. This time I am going to paperclip a note to her clothes and see if it works.
Maebee

Maebee - I am so with you on this. I am caretaking for my mother while my stepdad is away. I can't get it through anyone's head that she can still relate to having notes to remind her. She hasn't fed the dog a zillion times a day because of the note on the jar saying I will feed him.

She's to the point where I have to tell her where her husband is and why he isn't here many times a day. But notes are helping.

I just wish the rest of my family would realize she still has some skills left. This week with her is starting to prove that if I'm calm and respectful, Mom is about as calm as she can be, given her condition.

I use notes and labels too. The ALF mom is in printed out the laundry pick up directions on purple paper so I went out and bought a pack of purple copy paper and use that for all my signs so that when she sees purple she know the sign means something important.

We also labeled the remotes "living room" and "bedroom" because she would switch them and then the tv wouldn't work.

I even caught mom leaving notes for the ALF staff about having her clothes washed. They were on the corner of the table when I walked into her room with a note that said "wash when you can" Notes much be contagious!

Oh and I forgot one important thing that helped mom when she would want to know the answer to certain questions she had written down. I'd write the answer in different color pen than she used under her question so that when she kept referring to the paper and asking the queston she would read the answer and then be satisfied

ttt
This is so true. My dad can still read so we put signs up everywhere.
--No turn on the stove.
--No throw paper towels into toilet.
--No cut-off tops (the plastic on tissue boxes)
We even labeled each dresser drawer for socks, underwear, etc.

He reads very slowly, but still understands thankfully. I think the signage, though unsightly, helps him to be independant of us. And that must give him some sense of dignity and purpose.

Peace
Eileen

Oh, this is such a great idea!!!!

Hi,
I have thought of this idea too to help my mom. I live 3+ hours away and visit on weekends. My dad has taken over doing almost eveything and jumps in where it might take my mom longer. This often ends up with my mom being mad at my dad and my dad frustrated, then Ihave to try to sort things out over the phone. She can read, and I know if things were labeled, especially when it comes to her personal care items, it would be much easier for her. We had blue eyebrows once! It is frustrating to not be able to do what I can see would be helpful and getting them to accept it. I will be spending part of my summer vacation with them and am hoping to be able to do some things. I am bringing a label maker with me and will use all my best skills to get it to work. I am especially concerned about my mom's inability to make phone calls in case there was ever an emergency with my dad, if I could do a 1 touch labeling on the phone or color code the numbers, so she could use it independently, then I would feel better.
Thanks for the note that it has worked! It
is nice to hear positive things!
joni- california

Notes and messages on everything, how clever. I will have to remember that for the future. Long family history of alz.

I think there's a certain saturation point where too many notes make things confusing, especially as reading skill decline. I've used them to my advantage too however, specifically regarding feeding the cat.

I have a little board hanging on the cupboard with cat food in it. It says "Mimi has eaten". There are two clothes pins on it, each holding a card. After breakfast I have grandma turn around the first card, so it then says "Mimi has eaten ... Morning". If she goes to feed the cat again it helps to deter her. After dinner we turn the other card and it then reads "Morning" and "Evening". She knows the cat is done for the day when both cards are turned.

I couldn't teach her to reset them in the morning. That part never made sense, so I just flip them first thing every day. It works well, and has side stepped a lot of confrontations surrounding the cat!

My problem with the notes and labels has been that mom takes them down. I got frustrated and put "do not remove" on them, but it didn't work either. She removed them. When I put up "do not pack these clothes," signs up, she packed the clothes and the signs. I know she can read. I think she's just hard headed.

Any suggestions?

Relpying on the little notes in a differant color pen will be a lifesaver. Thanks for the idea.