DH memory problems getting worse

sunshine5

I think DH is in early stages of AD

He won’t take any steps to make it better- 

3 things I learnt help AD-

Reading out loud, writing a journal and doing short sums. He won’t do any of them.

I bought him a easy jigsaw puzzle, he won’t do it.

He is 83, all he wants to do is watch Tv, he does go for daily 

I know his memory is getting worse, today he couldn’t remember the name of his favorite program he had been watching for years, couldn’t even remember the channel #. Yet, he doesn’t acknowledge he has a problem!

Any suggestions or solutions would be appreciated.

I don’t know if I am receiving any feedback from my postings or not, I haven’t seen any replies lately.

dayn2nite2

I have no suggestions for you, because he has an incurable and terminal degenerative brain disease.

Puzzles, math problems and reading/journaling will not help him.  I'm not sure who gave you the information that they would help.

Continue reading posts here, you will learn far more about this terrible disease here than in any doctor's office or book.

Quilting brings calm

Please read the book ‘the 36 hour day’.  Please google Understanding the   Dementia Experience.  Please check out links like alz.org and dementiacarecentral.com.

I think you are wasting your time. The 3 things you mentioned might help a normal person keep their mind Sharp, but they are not going to reverse existing dementia, nothing will.  There are medications such as rivastegmine that might slow the dementia down. There are medications to address symptoms and behavior issues, 

Has he been to a doctor? Done testing? 

Iris L.

sunshine5 wrote:

. Yet, he doesn’t acknowledge he has a problem!

This is the definition of anosognosia.  The dementia actually makes him unaware of having dementia.  Do not provoke him or stress him out.  Get him some towels and socks to fold, even if he doesn't do it right.  Do this every day. 

 Iris L.

abc123

Hi Sunshine, the behaviors you used to describe your husband are common to people with dementia.(PWD). I know its frustrating when we cant get our loved one to engage in any type of activities. My LO used to work in her yard with a passion. I haven't been able to get her to even sit out on the patio in the past 5/6 years. 

I recently bought the book, The 36 Hour Day. It mentions that a PWD may be able to read a note out loud while not understanding/comprehending what they are reading. The book is helpful and depressing at the same time. I'm sorry you have to be here. 

Rescue mom

If he already has memory problems, reading aloud, doing crosswords, journals, and math or number puzzles/games will not help, and he is probably not able to do them, no matter how much you remind or urge him. 

Although some can read, or say the words, aloud, they don’t comprehend what they just read. That was hard for me to get my head around, with my DH Alzheimer’s, but it’s true and common.  It doesn’t help, regardless. All the things you mention—apathy, staring/watching TV, etc.—are typical for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. 

Another good thing for you to read is online, free. It’s called “Understanding the Dementia Experience” by Jennifer Ghent-Fuller. You can find it easily if you Google for it. You can also print it out, if that works better for you. It’s about 25 pages.

Paris20

First, you should get an evaluation of your husband’s cognitive decline. If he refuses to go to a neurologist, contact your primary care doctor to come up with a plan to work in a cognitive exam during a regular physical. You’ll learn that necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to Alzheimer’s. In other words, do whatever you have to do to keep your husband as healthy and safe as you can.

I agree with the posts about brain teasers, crossword puzzles and the like are useless if your husband has Alzheimer’s disease. In America we want to have hope, we want to DO something, or try anything that might work. It takes awhile to adjust to this hopeless diagnosis. Despite the research going on, they have led to disappointment. People, even if they mean well, will throw all sorts of fake leads at you…do this, don’t do that…take this, don’t take that. Until a real, valid, reliable treatment is found by scientists, you’ll be wasting energy. It pains all of us to hear this, read this, and believe this but it is very sadly true.