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Respite Care while traveling
Just wondering if any one in SE Wisconsin has found any respite care providers that can be used while traveling, specifically a facility that my DH could stay at for a long weekend or a full week. Some of the senior living facilities near me advertise that they have it, but it is only if they happen to have a vacant room…
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Lewy bodies(1)
My husband was diagnosed 5 years ago with Alzheimer’s. Now we have been told he has Lewy Bodies with Parkinson. He is taking Depakote and Seroquel. Has anyone had this to happen and medication?
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Maybe some of you can use this
I received an email that I thought might be beneficial to some of you. The links work, so give it a try. Here it is. _________________________________________________________ Hey there Careblazer, Most times, when someone with dementia is engaging in a "difficult behavior" such as yelling, screaming, refusing help, etc. it…
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Tracking device(1)
Does anyone have suggestions for a tracking device? My husband is still able to take walks by himself but I would like to be able to see where he is sometimes. We live in a harbor and he follows the road around to the end of the harbor and back home. He carries a flip phone that has no tracking capability. I did buy a…
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Any Suggestions - Agitation, Sundowning?
DH has mixed dementia. DH has been Sun-downing for the past several months to the point where he gets into everything, gets agitated, will not sit down and when it comes to bed time he becomes angry. He can also get mean at times. Is this part of the disease? He has never been this way prior to the diagnosis. He had a…
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Alzheimer’s Prediction May Be Found in Writing Tests
In today's NYT. Sorry, I don't know how to make an active link. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/health/alzheimers-prediction-speech.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage Very interesting, especially when good treatments are available, in the future. Early screening would be very important then. Elaine
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I am wondering if every one here has gone away!
I don't understand...my connection is nothing near what I am experiencing. Is anyone here at this date? 2021. Clarkfla
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Importance of Checking Credit Reports at least Annually
It’s been years since I last posted. Just completed 5 years without my sweetie. It’s been both fast and slow and yet I still feel like he is coming home for dinner every day. My lifesaving alzconnected e-village is never far from my thoughts. I refer many people and do check the posts occasionally. It is difficult to come…
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Newbie Question
Let me start with my question and the goal of this post, and follow up with probably more info than anyone wants; but catharsis for me. Questions: My wife has dementia - probably related to her blood cancer; but perhaps not. Are there tests to determine what is the cause? And if there are, are there treatments that make…
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The Dreaded Spreadsheet
We had a milestone recently. Not a good one, just a significant one. I maintain a spreadsheet that tracks all our financial assets, and every month, I go in to all our online accounts, pull the new balances and enter them on the spreadsheet. In years past, my wife was happy to take a report of our net worth each month, but…
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Clicking of Teeth
My first post. I was struck by something CStrope wrote a few days ago. She said something to the effect that she had gotten used to her DH constantly clicking his teeth. So briefly my DW has recently been diagnosed with Semantic Dementia (SD). She is clicking and lightly grinding her teeth 24/7. Her jaw is in constant…
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Placed DW in MC
I placed DW of 45 years in Memory Care yesterday morning, and am in the period of being strongly discouraged from seeing her. They have kept me well-informed about her during the past two days, but I am sick with grief that I did not anticipate, and guilt as well, wondering if I should have done this at this point. As I…
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Survived covid
AA really duficult 3 weeks. Somehow as we were both positive we made it thru . I was really sick with fevers, nausea and chills on an d off for 3 weeks. Even an ambulance ride to hospital due to dehydration for me. We are very lucky that they took my DH with me and he sat patiently in a chair with me on stretcher getting…
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DW Recent MCI diagnosis
Hello all, I am beginning my new life as a caregiver for my DW. We are retired, both 72 and married 50 yrs this year. I reached out yesterday to this wonderful resource. And called in to talk with Care Consultant. She mentioned this site so here I am. DW has not been formally diagnosed with dementia, yet our family doctor…
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New(1)
Hello, I am new to AlzConnect and having trouble finding anyone out there to chat with about caring for my spouse. Thanks if you can help.
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Lost in Plain Sight
Morning! My DH lost his good glasses over a week ago. He thought they were lost in the bedroom. I found them today on a large glass patio table in our Sun Room near our sliding glass door. He put them there when he took our dog out back. He has been in and out that door several times since losing the glasses. On Christmas…
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Jerry has passed
My husband of 33 years passed peacefully in his sleep today. In fact he has been sleeping for the last two days almost non stop. He has been almost unresponsive during that time. I was expecting the rn to visit this am , so I gave him a change and a fresh sheet. He had had night sweats during the night so I gave him a…
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What’s new?
Absolutely nothing! I mentioned on another post that I was on Video chat with my brothers last night. I have four brothers, all retired and pursuing the heir retirement dreams. One lives on a lake in TN, one has 100+ acres of land and had horses in upstate NY. Another is pursuing his photography hobby in Chicago, and the…
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Moving too Fast
Hi All, I am so confused....my DH has EOAD - Over the last few weeks we have been working to get his medicine adjusted to control anger, anxiety and agitation. He just seems to be declining so quickly. He paces non-stop, all day and doesn't sleep much. His appetite is declining. He does eat some days a full meal. His…
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New Covid Strains
Heard this afternoon that the South African variant, which is more contagious, has been detected in this country now. We should take the recommendation for double-masking seriously: it's worth buying N95 masks (or Chinese/Korean equivalent, look for brands that have received FDA emergency use authorization) and cover them…
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Respite Care(10)
In two weeks, I have respite care scheduled to begin coming to our home for 4 hours once a week. That may increase to twice a week, but I’m sorta going to break the ice to see how this goes. I guess I’m somewhat pessimistic. Let me explain: Presently when a friend comes to visit my wife (diagnosed with Alzheimer’s) she…
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Anesthesia, specifically propofol
DH is having a flexible sigmoidoscopy procedure on Wednesday. The anesthesia team will be using an anesthesia called propofol. Can any of you please share your experience when propofol was used on your PWD. I am nervous based on the posts I have read here regarding anesthesia effects on PWD, but I do not recall if it was…
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Need: Block unknown calls to Android device
DH has a Samsung Android and though I have tried to block all calls (not from contacts) on it, this feature does not work. I need an app (happy to pay) that will perform this function and stay in the background so DH doesn't see it (it will confuse him and/or make him upset). Verizon will only allow me to temporarily block…
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Is it too early?
My dh has EOD. His father did and stayed at home until he could no longer eat. He died 1 month after entering memory care. They lived in another state. In my mind I have always expected to keep him home until he got to the stage of being incontinent. He is 13” taller and I could not physically take care of him. However…
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Coping with grief and loss
https://vimeo.com/421756670 An excellent webinar on the experience of grief and loss of caregivers as a loved ones disease progresses. It gave me insight into my emotional state and I thought it well worth sharing. There are other good resources at the Ontario Caregivers website.
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The perils of AD and work Zoom
Some days you can’t win for trying. I start my work day with a Zoom meeting with about 20 colleagues. I’m generally in listen-only mode, so I attend without starting video or audio. And usually DW is still in bed when the meeting occurs. Yesterday, however, she woke and was ready to rise earlier than usual. So I was…
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Finding out that handling the impossible, is possible....
In all the scenarios over the years I could imagine I'd find myself, it was never what I'm doing now ... 68 years old, out of shape, dealing with Crohn's/IBS attacks and an FTD husband, single-handedly clearing out my dad's independent living apartment and completing his financial affairs with the retirement complex; doing…
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Alone(4)
The last day I saw DW in person was March 5. 2020 In truth she had no idea who I was even then. It had been a year since she showed any recognition of me or the children or grandchildren. I fell in love with her in 1971. The memory of her love and life and laughter keep me going. But I admit it tears my guts to see her on…
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PWD reaction to Zoom calls
Lately, DW has had extremely negative behavior when I am on a video chat or even on the phone. Last night I was on a video chat with my brothers, and DW started to shake and whimper and try to get my attention. She was very agitated. I muted about every 5 minutes to calm her down, but she just would not get calm. This…
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Doc put him on Seroquel for aggressive behavior
My DH had a second day of aggression (two weeks apart) where he defies everything we try to get him to do or not do. He constantly wants to go home to Fowler, KS where he was born and raised on a big wheat farm, but nobody is there anymore. In defiance, he jumped into our pickup truck and left on Sunday. My son and I…