Monday, September 20, 2021—3:30 pm 79˚F (26˚C)—Drizzle
Over the years, Sumi’s cognitive ability declined as her disease has progressed. She has migrated from the early stage to the late Alzheimer’s disease.
Some of Sumi’s major disabilities are:
- Trouble controlling bladder/bowels (incontinence).
- Lost awareness of recent experiences and surroundings.
- Not able to communicate needs, discomfort and pain.
- Changes in physical abilities. While walking in the house, she would stop and try to sit down where there was no chair, resulting in minor falls.
- Needing round-the-clock assistance with her daily activities.
When Sumi was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in April, 2013, her neurologist advised me to keep Sumi on a daily schedule. I took this to my heart and have been able to follow it to the tee over the last eight years. To help track her schedule, from time to time, I kept a log of her daily activities.
As Sumi was changing, to demonstrate how these changes affect Sumi’s Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), I prepared a worksheet (see following) as a tool to communicate with Sumi’s doctors, caregivers or any friend, relative or visitor interested in knowing Sumi’s daily routine.
Out of 24 hours in a day, nine hours are considered as instrumental activities requiring assistance. These activities are a general guideline as no two days are exactly the same for Sumi and the activities may happen at slightly different times.
