As a result, I started taking my mother out to eat and into public venues. I learned early on how much this benefited her. It took me a while to figure out it also benefited me in my role as a Alzheimer's caregivers.
What can I say -- try it, you'll like it.
Most McDonald's have table and umbrellas outside the restaurant. You can sit around having a burger, fries, a coffee, or an ice cream cone. It is likely that there will be others sitting out there also. If you are lucky there will be some kids around. An added benefit.
You might getting lucky like we do. Often a little bird flies up and lands on the ground. My mothers finds this fascinating, and it gives us something to talk about.
Some people might call this thinking outside the box. I call it bunkhouse logic. Keep it simple. More often than not, simple is the best of all possible solutions.
Please feel free to comment and share this article with someone that can benefit from the information.
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Hi Bob, I'm somewhat new to this site and pleased to see that with you and Bill, I'm not alone as a male caregiver or care coordinator, as things currently stand. My mother with "unspecified dementia" has some other eating habits that are a challenge for dining out. She has a habit of knocking over her drink due to constant fidgeting with other objects on the table. Worse perhaps, is when she spits out a mouthful of food onto her plate or napkin. On a recent occasion, she had been eating prime rib that I had carefully cut up for her into small bites with some Brussels sprouts. Ten minutes into the meal, she leaned forward and spit out a golf ball sized lump of well chewed food. This completely ruined the meal of a person dining nearby. To be fair, I do have to be considerate of others when dining with mom in public. I don't want her to be embarrassed by someone else's misunderstanding about her behavior. She is confused enough without dealing with potentially awkward public situations. The outdoor meal at a fast food restaurant is a very good suggestion. I will certainly give it a try, although mom is likely to want to dine in a much nicer establishment! It will have to wait until warmer weather, though. Good post! -- Joe
Hi...thanks for commenting.
Did you know that 41 person of Alzheimer's caregivers are men? Not there is a well kept secret.
Boy oh boy, you have your hands full with your mom. I had not heard that problem before but I am sure it is out there.
If I found myself in you shoes I would have to do some serious thinking to come up with any kind of workable solution. Good luck.
Weather wise, I am down here in south Florida which is a big advantage for getting my mother out. However, if I take her out and the temperature falls under 70 I Have to put gloves on her.
It isn't easy.
Bob DeMarco
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com
Thanks for your answer to my reply. I did see the AARP male caregiver article that shows guys at 40-41%. That is a surprise to me, but there's no reason to dispute it.
I just wanted to point out that some issues are legitimate for not taking a parent with dementia into a public dining situation. I liked your fast food suggestion. However, I'm in the Pacific Northwest and outdoor daytime temperatures are in the mid forties right now! Florida, on the other hand, would be great this time of the year! -- Joe