Question:
My Mother has had alzheimers since she was 55.. About the sametime my dad retired from the steel mill.. She is now 62 &she gets bored fast & likes to play with just aboutanything..Does anyone have any good ideas about what a goodtoy for those with this condition? We've got her dolls &stuffed animals & she likes them but they don't keep herbusy enough..I've been trying to convince my dad (who is70) to keep her in the house from now on cause she wanders& it's too hard to keep track of her. We had the policelooking for her 5 times last summer & it's just too hard onhim to have to run after her all the time & it's hard forme to get over there to run after her with 3 kids..Of course there are others in the family who could help outbut all except the 2 youngest (my brother whos 29 & myself28) are all low lifes who just don't care.. I bathe her &take care of her when she is sick & my brother helps outaround the house for my dad.. I really wish we could puther in a nursing home but we can't because the insurancewont cover her. My oldset sister (41) never comes aroundtheir house because she says it makes her feel bad seeingour mother like this.. All the others are about the sameway..I'm at the point now where it really doesn't bother me asmuch as it used to. I know she doesn't know what's going onaround her & I know if I didn't help expecially with hershowers that it would never be done & that's one job thathas to be done with her messing herself all the time..

If anyone knows what are some good toys pleae let meknow???

Answer: It's hard to say what would be good for your Mom each person is sodifferent and it depends on what "stage" they are in. My Mom who ispretty advanced right now has a hard time entertaining herself and evenwhen we try she loses interest fairly quickly. She has a hard timeconcentrating. A few things that have worked for her are: fiber opticanything(the colors change and move around), A touch to turn on lamp, asinging dancing anything(at Kay B with the button to turn it on prettyprominent), bird feeders outside the window, she did like the bulbs inclear vases to watch them grow, lamp that spins around with differentscenes on them. Little holiday toys like: chic that sits in her hand andchirps, Bunny whose tail you pull and it vibrates for a while, littletwist knob things that roll along. I try to get things that willentertain without being hard to figure out cause if she gets mad at itforgitaboutit. Mostly we just leave little piles of things around forher to pick up and hold and move around, it makes her feel like she cancontrol something and that's a very good thing). We're still not surewhere she put all the silverware or her bra's. LOL Your Dad should getused to the moving around of stuff it seems to be a pretty big thing inAD. We have had to empty out closets and lock some cabinets causeanything that is found is fair game for her. The house is a mess withall her little piles but we know where the stuff is that we need. Onething we have found to help with the boredom(and give us a break) is ADDay Care. She is very energetic and entertained and sleeps well at nightthis way. Your Dad might want to look into it. It is based on a slidingscale where I live. Judy suggested the best "gifts" to keep her safe. Ihave keyed chain locks on the doors(Home Depot) so she can not wanderand we can yank the door open in case of fire. Below is the link to 101activities that might give you more ideas.