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Power of Attorney(3)
If you don't have this yet, DO IT NOW! I can't tell you how often I've used DH's power of attorney in the last few years. I had to have it for reasons I never dreamed I'd need it. We had ours drawn up just after DH's diagnosis, and it is very detailed - pages and pages of details. I honestly thought it was a bit much when…
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getting more restlessness,wandering
Dw is getting more restlessness, wandering more around the house, rearranging things, emotional mid to late afternoon. Came home from hospital with meds of risperidone, 1 .25mg in am, 2 .25mg at bedtime and 1 300 mg gabapentin at night. Was prescribed Atavan by nurse now for mid afternoon but that made things worse. Nurse…
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How to get DH to sign DPOA
Thanks to this discussion forum, I just realized I need a DPOA, not just the Advanced Health Directive, which we have. But I may have lost the opportunity to get it done because DH is so distrusting of me now. I barely can get him to sign insurance claim and authorization release of medical record forms. Just a few months…
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My only post today
Wife in hospital. TIA. Positive Covid test. Screaming to get out. Bad language. Trying to get out of bed. Finally had to restrain her. Probably going to MC when released
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What was the first symptom that really floored you?
My wife had been showing symptoms since probably 2016 or earlier. Short term memory loss, inability to use a computer, do basic math, or use a remote didn't really get to me that much. I guess it was expected. But when she asked me if I wanted pancakes for breakfast, and I said "Yes", she reached in the fridge to get the…
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much needed vacation
I have the opportunity to go on 2 wk. trip with daughter. been taking care of LO with VD for 4 yrs now. Only help I have is from a his son who does not do well with his ailing father. He stays with him once in awhile so I can go over night or sometimes 2 nights to visit with daughter and grandchildren. I come home to a…
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The Brain Health Academy
Free, evidence-based courses to equip healthcare and wellness providers with the knowledge and resources to help people reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/brain-health-academy
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WHAT NEXT(1)
It has now been three weeks since my DW went into a MC facility. The first 2 weeks were very difficult as my DW was trying to “go home” and escaped 2 times. Then went to ER once for something called vagal down. At their recommendation she has also had a private nurse for the past 10 days to help her thru the transition…
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Worn out
I am 82 and DH will soon be 92. 6 yrs since he was diagnosed with MCI but went into moderate Alzheimer's since his brain surgery 4 yrs ago. Today I was wondering how long I can do this. We are in independent living and I just talked to the neurologist on the phone for a 6 mo appt and he said DH was doing remarkably well.…
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A Nice Change
Here is a bit of brighter news amidst all the many sad postings recently: Every time I arrive at DH's MCF, I announce my presence. I get there just before lunch; DH is seated in his "spot", quiet, usually with his eyes closed. I stand in front of him and say, "The girl of your dreams is here!" Staff within earshot will…
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Gonna have to watch everything
Today my dw was trying to treat a feral cat that has ear mites bad. So she tried to put the drops in the ear but the cats not gonna have it. So she comes in looking for triple antibiotics to treat the places behind the ears, she goes out and comes back in and asks, is this supposed to go in the ear or the outside, yep I…
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Bent posture
I am curious if anyone else has a LO whose posture has bent forward as the disease progresses. My DW is now in Stage 6 and over the last year or so has involuntarily bent forward at the waist making walking off balance, even with a walker. Sometimes sitting at the table she will end up with her face almost on the table and…
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accusations(2)
I know this has been addressed in the past but DH is in late moderate AD. He has been accusing me of having an affair with more than one man. I try to reason with him but I know that doesn't work. Today he (the disease) told me he hated me. I finally told him I'm sorry and I don't want to talk about it anymore. He had a dr…
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Swollen Legs and Feet
Hi again from me......got yet one more phone call from MC last night (there's no peace anymore) saying the nurse practitioner was in and in checking my husband found his legs and feet to be swollen - to the point she was concerned. He's NEVER had issues before this wonderful disease and only at one point last Fall did I…
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Social security changes
Figuring out what to do about my upcoming “retirement” options given the SS landscape has changed a lot. This is my next task, having researched and finally gotten DH’s only VA options in place (VA health care at the appropriate priority 4 level; no VA pension or other benefits due to honorable discharge a few months shy…
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Discovering our failing approaches
I think the way we come across to our LOs has a lot to do with how they respond to us. When a situation arises, it's not only what we say to them, but how we say it. I wonder if it would be worth it to record ourselves through the day so we could go back to notice if we handled the situation properly. Did I sound like a…
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A couple of anniversaries and a poem
In the next few days we will have our 47th wedding anniversary and the 50th anniversary of our first real date (CABARET) 1972. It is also the 47th anniversary of my graduation from law school and the 45th of her graduation from medical school We bought our house 47 years ago today. I wrote this poem last year You don’t…
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too much sleep
My DW is at the MS level. She has stopped being interested in reading, watching TV, listening to music, playing simple games, etc. In other words she seems only interested in sleeping during the day. She will sleep as long as I let her. When she gets up she almost immediately wants to go back to bed. Some days she can be…
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Question about finances
I am sure someone has a good answer. ●I hear about others on here moving money from a checking account that is a joint account to another account in just one name ● I also hear folks putting their home deed in just one name. ●Are there pitfalls with either one? ●If I die first, would this make it harder for my sil who is…
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My mental dilemma
First time posting and want to thank all for helping me get thru a lot the year or so by reading your post. Have learned a lot about what was to come and is to come. Help me get thru a lot of things, especially mentally and emotionally. My wife is is in last of 6E Alzheimer's. Started about 6 years ago. 3 years this July…
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Finally made an appointment.
I finally said my dw needs more help than she's been getting. I don't have any others coming, no family, so I am it.. I made an appointment to get the ball rolling with a pcp to start. Yesterday she lost it and so did I. She ended up beating her leg black and blue. I worry that she could get a blood clot from a leg vein.…
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Examples of counseling support?
For those of you who see counselors, how do you utilize the time with them? Would you be willing to share some examples of what you talk about, and also how it helps you? I recently started to see a counselor thinking to process grief, loss, acceptance, etc. I wonder if I'm expecting too much because so far I just mostly…
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Was I wrong? What would you do?
Apologies for cross-posting. Listing in CG forum also, to get as much feedback as possible. We are getting to a really gray area that I didn't see coming. Currently at a plateau...6d and holding for a while. The daily grind with his disease at this point definitely isn't easy but isn't terrible - for DH or me - yet either.…
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I've become obsessed with puzzles
Has anyone else found themselves doing any number of things to make sure they exercise their brain constantly? I am so afraid of having memory issues that I am constantly making sure I'm doing a variety of things to keep myself "on my toes". I have the closed-captioning on the TV so that I have to read while watching a…
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PWD driver has bad wreck (vent,too)
It’s just so terribly needless. I was helping someone move, and was a witness. A longtime AL resident with “not bad” dementia who still had a car—despite prior driving issues—lost control of her car trying to park at her facility. She jumped the curb, hit a bench full of elderly residents and people talking with them,…
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Preparing for Placement
I am calling the memory care tomorrow and I think they have rooms available. I feel so guilty but I need to have some semblance of a life and we don’t have family close by to help. What time frame will I be looking at and what did you need to do to facilitate the move. I will order a bed. Should I get a headboard? He never…
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I can’t stand to see this.
My husband, who is near stage 6 in AD, and had a stroke a couple of weeks ago,is in abysmal shape. He cannot respond to PT and will remain paralyzed on his right side until the day he dies. This week he is going to be moved to a nice facility, if there is such a thing, but I am finding myself increasingly unable to spend…
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Took off my wedding band
Last night, I took off my wedding band and put it with all the other jewelry (mostly hers) that isn't worn any more. I never liked jewelry, watches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, all that stuff. I wore the wedding band for almost 45 years but there is no longer any reason. I wore it for her, but now she doesn’t notice. In…
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THC not working
My husband is fixated on fixing something. He has been watching Andy Griffith and thinks they are working with him. He just took off out of the house and I caught him three houses down and luckily he agreed to come back. He is old but he is strong and if he had wanted to keep going I couldn’t have stopped him. I don’t…
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Another fall - another ER visit
This morning she fell, and hit the door frame (I think). She went most of the day without complaining, but in afternoon complained about her wrist. I took her to the ER. Broken wrist in two places. But to make matters even sweeter, she had a BM in her pants just before we got to the ER. I didn't go home. I told one of the…