His dementia making me feel ill

judimahoney,
if you had a simple wheelchair that he could push, you might go with him somedays. A slow motorized vehicle would work, too. You do need that time to decompress, so a volunteer is a better option. I'm sorry. All of this is entirely too much to bear.

Hi and thanks. My walking abilities aren't bad enough for a wheelchair yet, however I was thinking of getting a set of walking/hiking sticks (or whatever they are called).

judimahoney, I didn't think so, but riding won't tire you the way walking does. And he may just love pushing you around. It creates an interesting interaction. It can give him a sense of purpose. I haven't tried the walking sticks. They'll be interesting.

Well, he'll be walking our rambunctious dog, so difficult to push me at the same time.
All good ideas though. 👏

How about getting you a mobility scooter? The other option might be to hire someone who is a " dog walker" who will walk with him. He is acting like a toddler and you wouldn't let a toddler walk alone.

@gently. Walking sticks (Aka ski poles) are really good for walking! Most everyone here in Colorado uses them instead of a cane! And they are adjustable! And if you are planning on an airplane trip, they can be completely disassembled and put in your suitcase! Go walking!

Hi, Becky, besides improving balance? do they propel you forward? exercise your arm? I haven't really looked at them yet, but they don't seem like they would help if you started to fall. Can you run with them? Thanks Colorado must be nice.

Is there a high school in your community or a youth group at a church?
Sometimes there are programs in schools that encourage young people to do volunteer work.
Also, it looks good on their applications to higher ed and jobs if they’ve done some volunteer work, especially with dementia folks. Good luck.
And, I’ve used ski poles for years - hiking, walking on cobble stones in Europe, etc.
I don’t know if they’d be very good for catching you if you fell, however.
Best of luck, this is a hard road we are on. Cheryl

Hi @gently. This video should answer a lot of your questions. As for falling, you have two extra sticks! I haven’t watched all of the videos, but I’m sure that falling is covered. There were too many videos to watch!
https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/exercise-and-fitness
We’re traveling right now, but when I get home, I’ll try this instead of plain, slow-poke walking!

HI @judimahoney, it's wise not to let your husband walk by himself, as others here have suggested. A walking companion would be good if you can find one, or a mobility scooter for yourself, if all else fails.
My husband got in trouble on our lanai. He was watching neighbors walking on the street below us with binoculars. (I didn't realize he was blind in one eye with a cataract as he never said a word). A neighbor's wife complained to her husband who went nuts and shined a tactical flashlight on our house when he confronted me about it. He also had spoken to our neighbors to get the lowdown on us beforehand.
I explained my husband has Alzheimer's, but he wasn't very understanding. His wife was afraid that my 80 year old husband who broke his hip and uses a cane was going to jump off our 4' retaining wall, break into their house and rape her. I hid the binoculars to keep the peace.
My husband spends a lot of times dozing and that's my quiet time. He also goes to bed earlier than I do and I decompress watching some great tv every night for a few hours.
Sometimes, he'll work on a jigsaw puzzle, but many days he's bored and wants to eat everything in sight. We went on a tour of a day care program last week. I'm going to register him to go a couple of days a week. I've been telling him that the doctor told me I need a break or my health will not improve and I won't be able to take care of him anymore so he has to attend the program for my benefit. I'm hoping that will work.
I wish you the best. This is hard!