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How can we talk to my dad and help him understand he needs help - we're just starting this journey
My mom is now starting to show show signs of dementia after several years of memory loss and early stages of Alzheimer's. Which we knew was coming, but my brother and and I are recently learning more finally getting permission to access medical records. After talking to my mom's dr. I also learned that he has been…
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ideal living situations?
DW was diagnosed with MCI two years ago, she is still pretty independent, driving well, etc. But that is changing as may be expected. We are both 78, in reasonably good health and pretty active for our age. One area of concern regards our future living situation. We live independently in our home of 50 years. I can see…
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Resident is angry only at loved ones
I attend a family support group at a local dementia home (my Mom lived there for a year before she died.) A daughter and father have moved their mother/wife into a MC facility recently. She is angry at them & won't talk to them when they try to chat. The resident may be doing something enjoyable with staff, but when she…
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book recommendation
Currently reading Loving Someone Who Has Dementia, by Pauline Boss. I recommend it highly. It reiterates much of what she wrote in Ambiguous Loss and has a lot of excellent advice for caregivers
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Recent passings
Wally Amos, of Famous Amos Cookies fame, passed from complications due to dementia at age 88. Gena Rowlands, award winning actress, passed from Alzheimer's Disease at age 94.
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National Academies’ Forum GLP-1R agonists
This discussion is open to the public and there is an option for attending virtually This is the class of meds that are being used for diabetes and weight loss. They are exploring their affect on neurodegenerative diseases…
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Super fast decline to stage 7, what next?
I feel like I'm coming here with questions that I know don't have good/any answers, but I am really appreciating all of the shared knowledge and compassion in this forum. My mother has been on hospice for about a month and in a small MC since April. Moving into the MC seemed to trigger a speed run from late Stage 6 to late…
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Caregiving when you have pretty severe mental health issues yourself
Hello. I do some caregiving for someone who is quickly declining. We mostly go for walks. I have severe depression and anxiety myself. I am also unfortunately an empath so her distress sticks to me for hours or more. When she says paranoid delusions about her primary caregiver, I am at a loss for how to respond. I am…
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Denial
My elder with Alzheimer’s has no short term memory at all. Before Alzheimer’s she’d deny any problem like this anyway. Is it even worth the bother trying to get her to understand? Thanks!
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Finally...
I finally got an answer for what I've been dealing with for the past few months. Actually, it's been longer than that, much longer. I had been complaining of shortness of breath on exertion and extreme fatigue and tired muscles. I've seen two sleep doctors for a diagnosis of sleep apnea as a cause of the extreme fatigue.…
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Aggression and apathy
My grandmother is in an assisted living/nursing home. She has Alzheimer’s disease. She becomes physically aggressive with staff and scratches, hits, kicks, and tries to bite them. This is happening more often, which I believe is from the Alzheimer’s. Lately, my grandmother will just lay in her bed and pretend to sleep. She…
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Qualifying for hospice
This is my first post since I joined this group months ago after DH was diagnosed and I’d really like input from others who have had similar experiences. Over the last 4-5 months he’s had a rapid decline physically. For a month or so, the decline was both cognitive and physical, but he had some improvement cognitively…
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How big are your fiblets?
I realize this depends greatly on how much a PWD's reasoner is broken, but I think a fiblet is characterized in two ways: How big the topic is. i.e. saying that a dead person is alive (but moved far away) is big. The car (was sold off) is broken & awaiting parts is a medium sized topic (can be big in the mind of a PWD who…
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Begging to get her out!!
This group has been soooo helpful in getting us to where we are now . We were finally able to take our 93 year old , mid stage Alzheimer to a semi-autonomous residence , the transition was smooth , she accepted the situation, admitting that she could not live alone anymore . After 5 days, all hell broke loose .. she is…
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Cloth diapers?
A mobility issue has led to instantaneous urinary incontinence. I'm struggling with the environmental impact of adult diapers- used 4 overnight! We created more trash last night than the last 2 months combined. Has anyone used cloth diapers with their LO? Any other ideas?
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Contracts
Read and understand all of it before signing!
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resources for re-homing a rescue dog in Middle Tennessee
Hi folks, Thanks for all your support and wisdom. I've been lurking for months, reading and gaining support, but this is my first post. My sis and I are remotely supporting a father with ES dementia and a mother who is highly functional but recovering from a serious TBI herself, requiring massive caregiver support for…
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Somewhat off topic--a question about underpads
I had been using pet pee pads beneath my 19 1/2 year old blind cat, Simon. He sleeps a lot, and at night he usually doesn't make it to the litter box. But every morning the pee pad was soaked and leaked onto the floor. I tried different brands, they all leaked. Then I read about using underpads that are used for…
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Won't keep diaper or underwear on
I care for my 71 year old sister who won't flush the toilet or keep and undergarments on. She's leaving trails on my carpet and her room stinks. I'm very new at this and don't know how to help her. Any info will be appreciated.
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Hospice assessment
On Monday I asked the nurse at Mom’s AL if she thought Mom was ready for hospice. She jumped right on that. The account rep stopped by an hour later and took the initial info. She really didn’t seem that hopeful but she started the process. The PCP’s office called me Tuesday and wanted to know what diagnosis they should…
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ALZ and the law
My father was served with a court filing against him for trespass on private residential property. He has moderate ALZ and believes that people want him to visit them. Will his doctor's notes be admissible in court as a defense?
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Medication
My LO has declined according to her recent memory test she had a few months ago. Her neurologist prescribed a medication called Memantine. The first week she was doing fine, but the second week there has been some changes. She tells me she is drowsy, dizzy and feels funny. I noticed her mood has changed since taking this…
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Performing a COVID-19 Nasal swab test for PWD
PWD was previously aware of what a nasal swab for an antigen test was for, and performed the nasal swab by oneself (I did the rest of the test) This week, I was asked what the test was for, and I explained; I handed the swab and how many times to turn in each nostril. PWD did that, and then tried to wipe the swab tip on a…
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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
I’ve recently discovered that some patients with dementia may be treated with ECT in the hopes that it will improve symptoms of depression. Does anyone have experience with this that you can share? Here’s just one article I found about it
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NY Times: How Hearing and Vision Loss Increase the Risk of Dementia
Gifted article for 30 days https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/well/mind/hearing-vision-dementia-risk.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Bk4.olZa.vDIdaqXHJqa1&smid=url-share
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Pros and cons of living with parent
My mom is 83 and has dementia and Alzheimer’s. She had a fall in late November of 2023. I have been living with her since then. i am the last of her immediate family and live roughly 60 miles away. My husband and daughter are still there. I don’t get to see them very often. Right now I am her sole financial/household/yard…
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Repetition is "expressing concern, ask for help or coping"
An Alz.org page states "People with dementia who ask questions repeatedly may be trying to express a specific concern, ask for help, or cope with frustration, anxiety or insecurity" Does that apply to your PWD? I'm not sure what "help" one is asking for, unless it is a question about something specific, like a CD account…
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Wandering Story with a Happy Outcome
Not every person with dementia who wanders is found safe.
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Choosing identifiable & simple food
I realize this depends on the stage, but have you had success serving food that is easy to identify, one at a time? I see that finger foods are discussed elsewhere in the forum. I've read the suggestion below, on serving food and eating tips and this may be related. I noticed PWD was interested in spicy condiments lately…
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Caregiver for Brother Mid Stage Alz question
I am female, and the lone caregiver for my twin brother who lives with me. He is on the downside of mid-stages Alzheimer's and symptoms are speeding up. We are soon to be 70 years old. He cannot drive, can barely write his name and cannot do numbers at all. Moves very slowly and is beginning to have trouble finishing…