Any caregivers out there with a sense of humor left? Watching the Olympics made me wonder if caregivers would get more recognition and assistance if more people were aware of the tremendous feats we accomplish day after day. So, do you have an event suggestion for the Caregiver Olympics? Anyone? How about:
1. bed linen change challenge: bed change with a person still in the bed (points for gentleness, neatness, etc)
2. make the dr appt on time: You must juggle: late transportation, last minute clothes change due to spill and ask minute bathroom break
3. Find the right Medicare drug plan: who can navigate the Medicare drug plan selection site and come up with the best plan
4. Bed pan relay race: make it to your destination without spills
Point Round Up
3 points if you find the tv remote under the couch cousins
5 points if the keys are in the mail box
8 points if dentures are in the hearing aid container and another
10 points if the hearing aids are in a glass
20 smacking points if you find eye glasses in the rose bushes (this is my favorite)
Explanation Station-explain a new med, procedure, or diagnosis to your parent. Bonus points for not scaring them. Bonus points if they come back from the procedure and are still speaking to you, or actually take the med. Deduct points for each time you have to explain it again (and again, and again).
Food Endurance - can you make a whole day of meals they will eat without complaining?
Scheduling marathon - call for an appointment or question and wait for the person you need to talk to to call you back. Loose points if you can't wait anymore and call again. Bonus points for scheduling an appointment that's not at the same time as something else when they call you back and you are in the bathroom, driving, or otherwise without the Master Calander.
I think we are all Gold Medalists in all these events :)
1) get clothes, towels, deodorant, lotions together and heat up the bathroonm.
2) Wheel mom in the bathroom and strip her before she realized what was happening.
3)Soap her up and hose her down while she is saying hurry up and get this damn shower over with.
4) Dry her off, lotin her up and get her dressed while she is hollering how cold it is.
Oh, YEAH, !!!!! RAH, RAH, RAH!!!!!!
Did she really go to the bathroom before she got in the car?
Did she really swallow her meds, or did she hide it in her pocket?
Did she eat her dinner, or give it to the dog?
I.D. Event: How long does it take for your Police officers to pick up Mom and bring her home after she's wanders, if they pick her up, and bring her home, before you call them, you get the gold!!! Going through more than once is too much a GOLD medal... Because this means Mom has wandered enough that she automatically thinks the police are looking for her like routine and flags them down to go for a ride. How many police officers in your town know your Mom (or Dad) by first name, and you as the caregiver as well! Extra points for police I.D. and returns!!!
Course consists of steep downward grade, level section with three consecutive heavy restaurant doors that contestant must hold open while pushing the wheelchair through, one curb down with no cutout and with sand 1” deep on the other side, one curb up with no cutout and with mud extending out from the curb 1.5 meters, long detour to bathroom, and finally a steep upward grade.
Dumping wheelchair passenger is immediate disqualification.
Demerits for each utterance not suitable for a church, mosque, or synagogue: 2 seconds per utterance added to total time. For scuffing passengers shoes or soiling clothing with mud or sand: 2.2 seconds added per instance.
Bonus for passenger smiling at finish line: 4 seconds deducted from total time.
2.) ER Challenge: Gather clothes and toiletries to take to the hospital before time is up
Locate the lost glasses, tv remote (fill in the blank) - quickest time wins but extra points for searching thru garbage
The clone challenge: You have been on hold for over 1/2 hour waiting for the dr, insurance rep, medicare rep, (fill in) , just as they come on the line, your family member needs to go to the bathroom, the delivery/repair man shows up.
The slide challenge: longest time without sliding down and needing to be pulled up again wins
Nothing too add (my creativity is broken right now), but thanks for the laugh. :)
How loud can u get the tv w/o breaking your eardrums and blowing the speakers?
How many ways can you come up with to make taking a shower fun and appealing for a senior with dementia?
How much bleach can you add without making white spots on the colored laundry?
Speak loud enough for the neighbors to hear, but not your elder....
Trying to get one elder in the car while the other one is wandering down the drive way...
Fixing all meals that taste like chocolate because the elder only wants sweets....
Remainig calm under all circumstances.....
Breathing, just breathing.....