Any ideas on how to remind my mother to swallow?

Dad is in latter stages of PD, so I know alot of of what you're going thru. He's in Memory Care now, as he was so much for me to handle with very little help. But ...I bought an entire wardrobe of lounging clothes -- matching bottoms (kind of like pajama bottoms, not sure what they're called) & over-sized pull-over shirts (easier to put on & take off). They're very comfy, and he's confined to a wheelchair anyway, only going out for dr appts. He prefers to be dressed in the morning and allowed to sleep in the same clothes, so that's what I did, & the facility does the same. It's makes him happy. He does have to be reminded each day of the movements to dress & undress, as the aide is guiding his limbs. (He can't dress himself at all.) As for chewing & swallowing, he has chosen to be careful, but not to have a dysphagia diet plan. He has some dementia, but one day when he was very lucid, he told me that he couldn't "keep the food where it needs to be" in his mouth to chew it, & that he just couldn't work his mouth to chew & swallow the way he used to. It's such a terrible disease! But a lovely lady in another support group suggested lollipops & gum, & believe it or not, they help. I think they sort of work like therapy. So I take both occasionally when I visit, & he enjoys them too. We are also dealing with almost constant heavy drooling, so that's on my list to talk to the dr about at our next appt. My heart is heavy for you as you walk thru this. My heart breaks for Dad almost every day.

My mom is stage 7 Alzheimer's and has developed a delayed swallow. My daughter is a speech pathologist and comes frequently to observe my mom's swallow and give pointers. I suggest you have a evaluation done. For my mom, we gently stroke her throat from top to bottom and verbally cue her, "swallow". Maybe you could try this.

It sounds like Mother has Parkinson's Disease with Dementia (PDD) (based on the memory issues.)

One step in undressing Mom to change into pajamas is to ensure that her tops are easy to put on and take off. Experiment with what is easiest -- front opening, with Velcro instead of buttons? Back opening? Pull overs with large head openings (maybe V necks)? When you determine what works best, replace all the hard-to-change items with ones that are easier. (Thrift stores can be wonderful sources.) When all the tops work the same way you can use the same cues all the time for her cooperation. Perhaps sing a version of Hokey Pokey as cues ... "Put your right arm out, put your right arm in," etc. Try to make it less frustrating for both of you.

The swallowing issue is, unfortunately, common. A swallowing test can pinpoint exactly where the problems occur, and the speech therapist can give suggestions about the best food consistency and other factors. One common suggestions is to sit up straight when eating -- no slouching on the couch or being semi-reclined in bed. There will be other suggestions to deal with the specific problems revealed by the test. Since memory is so poor you (or someone) may have to give cues and reminders during the meal.

Do you belong to a support group for caregivers of persons with PDD? Or for caregivers of persons with Lewy Body (very similar)? That can be an awesome source of practical advice and support.

Many time an in home aid is able to get the shower done, and Medicare of Medicaid would pay for it with a doc's order. The swallowing, really not an idea there. The reflex to swallow often is lost. You could get a script from doc for a speech therapist to do a swallow test. Maybe there are food inconsistencies that would work better than others.