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Compensation
I had to quit my job to take care of my DH who was diagnosed. Is there compensation I can apply for. I am on SS. Also I am so glad to find this site! Sometimes I just need to vent!
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Drapper
In one of your posts you said "Thinking of it as a choice makes me less of a victim and a better caregiver." I know you took the course offered by Natalie Edmonds. I've been a strong believer that if you can change the way you think about caregiving situations (that's what you did), that can make a real difference in how…
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Separation Anxiety
I have a fairly new male care helper spending 4 hours 1x week with my DH. He takes him out on walks, driving range.etc ( has been here about 6 weeks ) Last week after 3 hours my DH wanted to go home to see me. I was not there, and he really freaked out. He was yelling and throwing things around. Needless to say, I had to…
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Sundowning question
My DH had sundowning months ago when first diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Seemed to last about a month. He's not sundowned for close to 4 months. And he's back at it again. Does sundowning appear thru all seven stages?
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Learning about myself
Almost 3 years since DH dementia diagnosis. I’m not only learning a lot about this awful disease but also about myself! Some I’m proud of some not so much. My recent “aha moment” really opened my eyes. I’ve been very short tempered and not understanding with my husband’s shadowing me. Why? I know the obvious answer, but…
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The Cavalry Isn't Coming
Venting alert. The Cavalry isn't coming....And boy howdy, is that ever the truth. I don't have the link anymore to that thread, but it was such a helpful smack of reality. I still didn't realize how much of a reality until recently. I guess I can read something and get it intellectually, but reality is more than the…
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ED1937, how are you?
Hi , With all of the most recent events at our house, ive been a bit caught up in my own dilemmas. I've not seen any recent posts from you and wanted to check in to see if all is well. Sending a hug, Maureen
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Dreams/Nightmares
Hi all, My dad has started having dreams/nightmares about his parents. They died in 1967 and 1971. He is dreaming that they committed suicide, they did not, and he wakes up crying. He has been talking about his mother a lot which is something new and he is not mentioning my mom (his wife) anymore. She died 11 years ago.…
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Covid vaccine question
Have any of you had the new Covid vaccine yet, the one that was just released a week or two ago? Did you have any reaction to it? I just want to plan ahead in case I am going to spend a day not feeling well. I would be getting the Pfizer vaccine.
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His autonomy vs My helping
Where is the line? DH wants to do so much but many things end up being a fiasco if he proceeds on his own. Yet he refuses my help. Do I let him fail at the attempt or step in to help him accomplish the task? Even if he asks for help, he quickly rejects it soon thereafter. It's takes every ounce of patience I have, and…
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My husband hit me today - he has never hit me in 41 years of marriage but now..
Today, I put some boxes on our deck to throw away in the dumpster up the street and my husband just hauled off and hit me square in the back right where I have an 11 inch incision from recent back surgery. He hit me where he knew he could hurt me the most- I am in shock and very upset. Can anyone help me with this one? I…
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Webinar from AFTD
Sharing in case it's useful to others. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration is holding a webinar with their helpline staff on October 2.…
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Now he can draw the face of a clock.
My husband retired from his job as an Engineer, in 1999 at the age of 60, because he could no longer do computer drafting. He also started getting lost in places he had driven his entire life. When he finally received a diagnosis in 2017, I finally had validation on knowing what I knew, when no one else believed me. Before…
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911 to Hospital to Inpatient psych eval
I had to call 911 due to my 70 year old husband's aggressive and threatening behavior. It’s been steadily increasing over the last several months. Original diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment was 8 1/2 years ago. An infection and 24 day hospital stay 4 years ago started the downhill slide. He’s been declining physically…
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Just need to talk to my friends (191)
Hi, Wasn't sure how to start another segment but it worked - I hope. Do you all think we'll ever get to 200? I bet we do as much as we like to talk with each other. I think I took a little nap this afternoon - woke up and a cat was laying on me - think it was Sammy. I have on a caftan - just put it on when I got back from…
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Stages of Alzheimer's
I have seen on several posts people saying that the person they are caring for has stage 1, 2, ...7. I have only before known of early, middle and late stages. What are these numeric stages?
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What Does Early Aphasia Look Like?
For anyone whose LO presented early on with aphasia in the dementia process, what did you notice first and how did it present? A friend (not a medical professional) after a recent conversation w DH mentioned he might have aphasia due to his speech pattern. He has always said "umumumumumum" in a very staccato and fast…
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What's harder than caring for a PWD? Caring for one when you both have Covid
Well, here I am in a place where I never hoped to be. On Friday morning, DH started sniffling and coughing. I called his daycare to cancel, and watched him. On Saturday, he was so weak he could hardly climb stairs, could not get on and off the toilet, and was extremely confused. In 27.5 years of marriage, I have never seen…
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Resistance to showering and changing clothes
I am a 73 year old full time caregiver for my 70 year old wife now 4 years into her Alzheimer's diagnoses. She is extremely resistant to showering, washing, or cleaning up in general. I am lucky to get her to shower or "clean up once a week. Now, she won't change her clothes. Any careful suggestions to change or clean up…
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Hello M1 - Thinking of You
Hello again, M; been thinking of you and your Partner and of course, wondering how you and she are and how things are going. So much happening; but hoping you are still coming here now and then. Wonder how your breathing is doing, if you have found anyone to help at home and around the property as yet, and also wonder if…
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Some better news to share
Hello , After a weekend from hell, where in desperation i called hospice and begged for a solution to my huband's agitation and Insomnia, the kind nurse and doctor advised me what to do, and DH slept through the night . It was. of course, sunday, and where i live there are no 24 hour pharmacies, so we had to utilize what i…
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New/old member back again
Quite a few years ago I was a member of this forum to get support helping care for an elderly family member. Unfortunately I'm back again because my DH has now been diagnosed with Neurocognitive Disorder. His issues are caused by encephalopathy caused by an autoimmune disease he's had for decades and we have been told it…
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Parkinsonism
My DH was diagnosed with Parkinsonism and LBD in July. The Parkinsonism seems to be the main issue right now. He does have some cognitive issues but mild . My concern/ question is his walking and mobility are what he struggles with the most. Since June he has physically declined drastically he uses a walker in the house…
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The truth is I was going to leave my husband before the diagnosis...
We have been married for 30 years, the last ten of which have been horrible and the last two of which were untenable. Then he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and of course I could not leave. Morally and ethically I just cannot see myself doing that. However, he is in the early stages, still has the capacity to understand a…
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Our Story (long post)
Hello everyone, I've been lurking here forever and I decided it was time to come out of the dark. I started to add a discussion so many times, but honestly every time I did, someone else had the same problem and the answers were just what I needed. So, thank you to everyone that has posted, answered and helped me…
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@harshedbuzz: regarding your mom
You mentioned in another thread that your mom is lonely. I can relate. I was never a social butterfly, but I had friends. It's very different being older. Older people don't make friends easily. I had considered moving to a 55+ active senior community, but I am no longer that active and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep…
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Offered help for caregiver stress by PCP
Hello, everyone, I am wondering if anyone has ever been in the position I am in now. Twice now, both in our old location and our new one, I've had to go to a PCP for routine visits and confessed to being stressed out by my responsibility caring for my DH, and the doc has asked if I wanted something to help with the stress.…
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Getting spouse to wash
I wonder if anyone has any ideas on how to get an early Alzheimer to wash. my wife is a very private person but she stopped washing herself . I took her to the pool and hot tub in the summer but what can I do in the winter?? thanks, U
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One hell of a roller-coaster.
DH has been diagnosed (?) with Mild Cognitive Impairment and we are working on further testing to see what might be in the mix. He has anosognosia. Today, my DH and I discovered that yesterday he had charged $$$$s of dollars on his credit card for camera equipment. I say "we discovered this today" because DH has no memory…
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Urinal? or Male Incontinence pad or both?
My DH, 78, diagnosed 2 years ago has ALZ-Posterior Cortical Atrophy and is Stage 5 going into Stage 6. Lately he hasn't been making it to the bathroom in time and slightly wetting his underwear a few times a day enough that he has to change. He may also have some visual issues but waiting for an appointment with a Neuro…