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Dementia Phone
Maybe you all know about this but just in case it would be a help to someone I am sharing. When my husband couldn't use his cell phone anymore nor learn another simpler version, I found a cell phone specifically for dementia patients. It is called a RAZ phone. I purchased it a couple of years ago for about $400. You have…
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Checking in... post-diagnosis frustrations...
Good Morning Everyone. I so appreciate the posts I've read this morning. It is comforting to know that my feelings are normal. I am feeling so powerless these days. As if the diagnosis isn't enough to deal with, it's dealing with healthcare, insurance, the government and lawyers. It's enough to drive anyone mad. Then add…
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Colon cancer screening -- yes or no?
My husband recently got a colon cancer screening kit in the mail from his doctor. His Alzheimer's has progressed to the point that he can't follow even simple instructions, but he's cognizant enough to push back if I try to do too much to help him. He refuses my help with the kit, but he's also obsessed with it. He woke me…
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Can’t sleep
I’m still struggling with my DH’s son and friends denial of DH dementia. Today we attended our granddaughter’s music recital. Afterwards, we were invited over to granddaughter’s house. I felt it was important to accept. My DH ex wife was there and they started talking about driving. My DH went on about how he had to take…
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The Physical Part of Progression
Greetings from my corner of overwhelm and sadness. My DW has begun to show more signs of entering stage 6. She may already be there and mostly I don’t care if I have her in the right stage. Each stage sucks and everyone one of them has included a deeply painful element or elements to it. Though she pops back in to being…
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DH got evaluated at memory clinic
After 5 yrs of declining health, cognitive impairment diagnosis 3 years ago and 2 strokes in the past 2 yrs, DH finally got evaluated at memory clinic. Surprisingly clinician Saud he did not see alz. Cognitive impairment and possible early VD. His short term memory is getting much worse, understanding of language is a real…
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Newly diagnosed AD in DH
Early stage AD, we're told. He's still functional but it's been obvious something wasn't right because he would complain about not being able to focus on his newspaper. If he loses that and driving he will be difficult. I finally got him to the primary and then testing last fall. We finally got a PET scan last month and…
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Big Ol' pile of .....
YUP, you guessed it poop!!!! This week's new thing started. As of Monday morning my bf (44yo eosa) has been having an issue with just his first of the morning bathroom duties. Today is my day off and I was so excited to get to sleep in ... haha at 6am I woke to him in the bathroom. (In my head ... SWEET HE DID IT!!) Then I…
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Wondering if I'm a trigger for my DW at MC
I try to visit my DW every day or every other day at her MC. She's always glad to see me and I her but it's always so difficult when I leave. She either wants me to stay with her or go with me and she gets hurt and upset when I tell her I have to leave now. She still cries telling me "I just want to go home!" I think she…
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Driving Battles Continue
@kimeche …I can relate and unfortunately it is extremely dangerous for him to drive and we as caregivers are held responsible for their actions, not to mention the unbearable burden of guilt you’d have if he killed somebody. I’m sorry, I am in the same exact spot.💜 And now my rant for the day—My DH got a letter from the…
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Needing guidance
Still at the beginning of this journey ( well officially at least). DH 57 with EOAD confirmed via PET scan. He has his neuropsyche evaluation in June. We had a trust, advance directives, durable POA drawn up several years ago ( before everything). I called a CELA to have it looked over and make sure everything was in line.…
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Help
My wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in March 2023. I can see she is slowly declining...I'm the only caregiver right now and also work a very stressful full-time job. I'm worried about getting to a point where she will need constant care. I absolutely have no idea what to do...I've heard nightmare stories that we'll go…
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Calling all doctors
DH’s behavior, both at home and at day care, has become more challenging lately, so I contacted his neurologist to request a medication adjustment. He has been on citalopram for a year, currently at 15 mg/day. He also takes 10 mg of donepezil (Aricept) daily. The doctor’s NP said that because of the possible effect of…
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Will Robotics and AI Be the Future of Elder Care?
https://www.elderlawanswers.com/will-robotics-and-ai-be-the-future-of-elder-care-19713
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Lithium and Trazodone
DH is currently on trazodone 50mg at night for sleep. He has been dealing w a significant infection in his ear and now jaw for the past several months which has created more (understandable) anger and irritation than is his normal daily snarls and growls. Infectious disease doctor yesterday recommended antidepressants…
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Update on husband and hospice
My husband has been on hospice care for about a month and a half. I definitely didn't think he was ready and was truly surprised when he was approved. I've been blown away by the level of care. His nurse comes weekly and is so good with him. The CNA showers him twice weekly. The social worker, chaplain, and music therapist…
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Referral for CELA s
it is so difficult to choose a good elder care attorney. It is like taking shots in the dark. . Does anyone have a recommendation for Wisconsin or Indiana? So appreciate it.
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Sleeping late
Hubby used to get up 9-930 and used to go to the gym. He hasn’t been to gym for one year. Now he sleeps until 11:30-12. I do not bother him. A few times I’d ask him if he wants to go to gym but he doesn’t want to get out of bed. Some days he asks if he still goes to gym and I explain I’ve tried getting him up. He tells me…
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Re-posting in it’s own thread
Hi So comments in this thread (about anosognosia) are hitting home right now. But I need clarification. At what stage or point do you feel your SO is when you start noticing cognitive issues such as it is hard for them to talk to others, avoiding large groups, saying his brain isn’t working, not able to form sentences,…
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Seroquel Dose
My DH has been taking Seroquel for about 2 1/2 months now. I give him 25mg at 5:00pm every day. He falls asleep about 6:30pm or 7:00pm in his chair, and I wake him at 10pm to go to bed. He sleeps all night. It’s been wonderful for diminishing hallucinations and delusions and the anxiety that goes with those. BUT, most…
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Just wanted to say "Hello friends"
I've been gone for a while, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten about you. As the song said "You are always on my mind". So just a little update. It seems like every time I want to do something to help others, something gets in the way. I've been in contact with Jim Mangi (you might know him as "Toad"), the man who…
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Thought it would be a good day🤦🏻♀️
Thought I gave DH an enjoyable day ? After stepping in his pee on the br floor this morning 🤦🏻♀️ then cleaning the BR making him breakfast going grocery shopping making lunch and taking him to our nieces HS lacrosse playoff game. Having trouble turning TV on when we got home Changed batteries. He proceeded to get in my…
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How important is definitive diagnosis?
My DH had the usual tests when we first started noticing the memory issues - EEG, blood tests, MRI - nothing unusual showed up. He refused to go to the neuropsych testing when he realized what it would entail. Fast forward about a year and some doctor issues (had to get a new PCP, etc). I was able to get him scheduled for…
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triggers
PWD tend to "loop", to run through the same set of questions and comments repetitively. One advice is to eliminate "triggers", whatever it is that causes the PWD to enter the loop. I've been doing that already to some extent by discarding letters, etc., for which DW wants an explanation. But there's one trigger that's hard…
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What is wrong with me? (Rhetorical question)
Some days I wonder if I'm going to get though this with my sanity. Yesterday I actually booked a plane ticket and made reservations to travel somewhere by myself and then within a few hours came to my senses and cancelled the trip. I haven't left DH alone for more than 4 hours since March 2023 when I went to Asia for 10…
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Anosognosia - Does it ever go away?
So - my DH was diagnosed a year and half ago with moderate dementia - based on a MoCa score of 13/30. He has always had anosognosia and never thought there was anything wrong or amiss. Suddenly this weekend, he has been in tears twice saying that he wants to be part of the family and that he wants to be like everyone else…
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New day program was great until it wasn't
Thought we had a good thing going with DH new day program. He was having such a good time, happy to go in the morning and coming home in a great mood. It lasted 3 weeks. He aggressively escaped while the door was open for other clients to come in. DH ran out into the road, luckily he was not hurt. He is back in the…
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Does shadowing ever go away?
I’m not sure how much longer I can keep it together. I am with him 24x7. I don’t have help. He yells for me whenever I leave the room. Every time I move he needs to know where I’m going. He says he’s afraid and we need to be together all the time. It was more manageable when I was able to make a quick trip to the grocery…
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His speech makes no sense. Frontotemporal Dementia?
My DH had his appointment today with the Neuropsychologist. Three months ago she saw him, he spent a lot of time telling her the story that he was telling literally everyone he encountered, that he had been to the moon. Not a typical symptom of Alzheimer’s. But still that was my assumption since he has all the other…
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The Bright Side
Here’s a thread to share positive moments or ideas and tips on caregiving. I’ll start. *good weather today so we went to the dog park and to town for coffee…hubby enjoyed this *music always perks him up… *the more I treat him like my hubby while understanding his limitations (so going slow, being patient, having no big…