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Questions about memory care
My husband has been in a secure memory care unit for 3 weeks. It's noisy and the shared areas are crowded. About a third of the residents are non-verbal. There are 18 patients with a nurse and two CNA's. After lunch, everyone is told to go to the TV room where they seem to stay until dinner, unless they decide to take a…
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Gulp. So new I hope I’m reading incorrectly
New diagnosis. Hubby. I’m reading posts saying seven years, nine years. Still dealing with new memory failings? Issues. I did just order that book someone suggested. I just don’t think I can handle all this. Is this with treatment that slows progression or without? Go ahead. I’m obviously very naive and have no clue right?…
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The Clock Stopped
In the middle of a concentrated time of reviewing important documents (…and needing a break) I was interrupted with DW coming into the room upset because the clock "stopped again!" and her TV shows were all mixed up "I give up!" she said. I managed to not react and instead said kindly "Can you show me so that I can fix…
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Her Signs In Stage 8
Over the course of the weeks leading up to my dear wife's passing. strange things kept occurring, signs if you believe, that she was providing. There were so many "coincidences" that we began to believe that was something more at play. I am uneasy even writing that here or saying it publicly. But, they continue. Images in…
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Teaching Myself To Breath
As my wonderful DH’s VD and Aphasia progress I am trying to teach my self to sit still and just breath, gently and slowly in and out. This is a challenge and so hard as I have always been movement plus. I am also trying to use all the support that I have access to because as we all know the cavalry won’t come unless you…
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Patience...
…I'm out of it. I’ve heard it said that resilience is a virtue, and in my current position, I really need it to be. For the past three years, my husband has had an official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, but looking back, I realize the signs were there for years before. I had no idea what I was getting into. Now that we're…
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65 days in memory care
I haven't posted in a while, but I thought I would tell the story of my DH's adjustment to MC and ask you all a question. He had a very rough time for the first three weeks, then slowly began to adjust and to take part in activities which has progressed to him being fairly happy by six weeks or so. One of the reasons he's…
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Trying to keep my sanity
Hi. I'm relatively new here. My DH was diagnosed a year ago with Alz., but I noticed changes about 3 years prior to diagnosis. I'm not totally unfamiliar with Alz. as I was my Mom's advocate in her last few years with it. She has passed, but I thank her for the practice I received ... not that anyone wants practice or any…
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Steady decline …
Things are changing! Noticing a lot of little changes lately … choosing cookies for lunch over a sandwich, having a danish for breakfast instead of a protein, picking through his food taking out pieces of onion or peppers which he used to like, giving him his pj’s to change into and getting into bed with the same clothes…
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Fairly new to this dementia thing...
Just for some background, my DH's geriatrician recently diagnosed him with vascular dementia, based on the fact that he had a stroke 3-1/2 years ago. At the time we were told that the only outcome of the stroke was aphasia (word finding difficulty). Since that time he has become disabled due to a bad fall resulting in a…
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For any CALPERS retirees and caregivers of
We have been married for 37 yrs, my husband has had several strokes and has VD. Luckily his memory is still intact, he is capable of carrying on a conversation, understanding and can make his own decisions, albeit slow with his processing speed. I have always handled finances, bills, investments,etc. I thought I had taken…
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Another Step Down
I can’t rant, my compassion and love for my DH is too deep but I just need to talk to those that understand. I had a friend say to me yesterday if you ever need to rant just call, so kind of her but I don’t need to rant I need to cry sometimes I’m just so sad about this debilitating disease. We have this wonderful…
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Repercussions from shunt surgery.
My husband had a shunt put in for NPH (Normal pressure hydrocephalus) in July. Before that he had early Alzheimer’s dementia. After surgery, its a lot worse. We had to put door handle locks on the doors, shower & bathroom bars in the bathroom. He doesn’t remember anything. He makes things up, hallucinates. He’s losing his…
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Still waffling on MC placement
After touring MC facilities for my plan B, I started thinking that maybe DH would be happier and better cared for if he was there. There are a few reasons for this which I won’t go into but I haven’t made a decision yet. I am not good at being decisive - ironically that was one of the things that attracted me to my DH at…
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Anosognosia—When People Don’t Realize They’re Impaired
https://thedawnmethod.com/anosognosia-when-people-dont-realize-they-are-impaired/ The topic of anosognosia comes up regularly, particularly for people who are new here. It's confusing and confounding when your LO can't see their own impairment. I think this article is a good introduction. I hope it's helpful. People who…
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Do we ever sleep?
Here it is at 4 am. Been up since about 2:30 am, not unusual at all. As I scroll through the threads here, now and then offering my two cents, I noticed the times of postings. Amazing number seem to be posted during the very late hours of the evening or during the overnight hours. Do we, as caregivers, ever sleep? I know…
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Post for Lgb35 on Semantic Dementia
Lgb35 I saw your recent question on how to get info on Semantic Dementia (SD) in another thread but I thought answering there might get lost. "we received confirmation today that DH also has Semantic Dementia. When I asked for resources so we know what’s next and how this form progresses, I was told to look up FTD…
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Downsizing with Dementia
It's been three years since the official diagnosis though it was happening way before that. And I realize I haven't looked back. I haven't looked back at how we were before all of this crept in ever so slowly. And I actually forget who he was sometime back in our lives together when I never imagined anything like this. And…
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Social Scientists, We Are Here
As I read through the threads on here and, like all of you, find great value and comfort from this forum, I am struck by the discrepancies between our real life and what is described by most (I am sure there are exceptions) articles or studies. As I began our journey, the medical community could offer little, if any,…
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Our journey together.
We are in year 3 of my wife’s battle with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease but I still feel this way with her. To My Beautiful Wife Each time I look at you, I just smile to myself and think, You are perfect just the way you are, my one in a million. You are my special kind of love that makes me realize that life gave me the…
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DH always wants to leave the house
All day long, DH is constantly wanting to “get going”. He is fixated on walking a specific route in the neighborhood. We walk the route, stopping to talk to anyone we see (which is another challenge), we come home, change out of our sweaty clothes, then he says “are you ready to go?” This goes on ALL DAY LONG. He doesn’t…
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Feeling alone and lost
I have not got a diagnosis for my husband yet but its so difficult as he used to do so much and now he jist sits and I can't get him to do anything . I have been finding all kinds of stuff in trash cans almost daily I feel like a dumpster diver. if I asked him why he say I dont know and just like he didn't do it. I been…
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Sundowning
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living the movie Groundhog Day
My wife and I have had a wonderful 40+ years together. Recently, the neurologist diagnosed her Alzheimer's as "early moderate" stage. I believe the moderate stage began during the past year. The biggest change so far (in the moderate stage) is not greater loss in memory (although there is some). Rather, it's behavior…
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Care home wants more meds because of aggression
My DH has late-stage early-onset Alzheimer’s with aphasia. For his safety and because I work full time, we had to move him to memory care 10 months ago. Before moving he would sometimes strike out at our home caregiver. In memory care he became aggressive when exit seeking and during grooming. We tried medication but ended…
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Refusing to take meds
This is a new problem for us. My DH is pitching a FIT when it’s time to take his meds. He absolutely refuses to do so. I’m probably not doing this right, but I beg him to take them for his dr’s sake. Last night I begged him to take them for Cody, that’s the dog. He did. He started chewing them a few weeks back, so I…
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Grieving
I find I am grieving the intimacy that we used to have. I tried to hug him this morning he said to me, I don’t love him. I felt like it tore my heart right out of my chest. We have been married for 67 years. It is my DH. I find myself often in tears I’m 84. I feel like I live in the house alone. He gets angry so easy I do…
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Help with restless, sleepless nights
At bedtime, my wife will sleep for about an hour then will become restless and repeatedly get up and down, then roam around the bedroom and upstairs all night like a zombie. She has moderate/late stage Alzheimers and takes risperidone (Risperdal) but doc is weaning her off and will replace with Geodon soon. She also takes…
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Leqembi Infusions
My husband is in early stage Alzheimers and our Neurologist recommended Leqembi. After much discussion my husband decided he wanted to try it even withe the serious side effects. After 3 infusions they did an MRI to look for side effects (brain bleeds). All was good. After the 5th infusion they repeated the MRI and it…
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Is neuropshych exam worth it now?
DH was diagnosed with early AD via PET. We have upcoming scans to see if he's a candidate for the infusion treatments. We have a neuropsych exam (the 3-4 hour one) scheduled. Is it worth it to still get it done? Costs are rising and I'm not sure the value. Would love to hear some opinions.