Any Gay men out there?

Janco

I am a Gay guy living in the Southwest, taking care of my husband who has moderate memory issues.  It would be helpful to communicate with another person in my situation. Thanks.

Ed1937

Janco, we just had a post from another guy who said he was gay within the last two weeks or so. Sorry, but I don't remember his username. Maybe someone else will remember, and let you know. If you get his name, you can click on it, then hit "Invite". He will then receive an email, telling him he has an invitation to become friends. He will have the choice to accept or deny the invitation. If he accepts it, you two will be able to private message each other. Keep an eye toward the top of the main page, and look for "Inbox". If you receive a message, you will see a number there.

M1

Welcome Janco, there are all kinds of couples on this forum (and all forums, if you look there is one specifically for LGBT issues, but pretty much all post on all forums I think).  Sorry you are going through this, you have come to a good place for support and practical tips.  Good luck.

Janco

Ed, thanks!

Janco

I appreciate the info and good wishes.

Joe C.

Janco, Welcome but sorry you needed to seek out our community. I think the link below may be the post Ed was referring too. Also you can Connect with individual members by using the Connections & Inbox. I wish you well on this journey that none of us wish we were on.

 https://www.alzconnected.org/discussion.aspx?g=posts&t=2147562615

Janco

Joe, thanks, this is so helpful.

Ed1937

That's it, Joe. Thanks.

MN Chickadee

Welcome Janco. There is a forum on this site dedicated to LGBTQ+ caregivers. It isn't as active as the caregiver and spouse forums; it's commented on like weekly instead of multiple posts per day but is a place to find people in similar situations nonetheless. 

https://www.alzconnected.org/discussion.aspx?g=topics&f=2147806999

Jo C.

Hello Janco and a very warm welcome to you; I see by your Profile you have been with your husband for 41 years, a long anniversary time and I can imagine how all of the changes are stressful and uber worriesome for you.   Yes; there are gay men and women on the Forums; many of these Members may not declare outright or perhaps not mention it more than once, but their presence is amongst all of us and all are supported here. 

There is the LGBTQ Forum, but it is very poorly attended by Members; most of them come here to discuss their care issues because this is the best and most attended place for sharing and assistance.  You will find much support and inclusivity here.   A good place to land and lots of information from spouses and partners who are farther along the path of caregiving, so there is much experiential wisdom to be found.

I see that you do not yet have a definitive diagnosis for type of dementia or condition and that may well be confusing matters a bit more.  Do you have a dementia specialist working with you that you have confidence in?

Let us know more about your husband and the questions and concerns; you will get input.  If you need to speak to a professional to gain some information or to even just vent, the Alzheimer's Assn. has a 24 hour  Helpline 365 days a year and can be reached at, (800) 272-3900.  There is no fee for this service.  If you call, ask to be transferred to a Care Consultant; these are highly educated Social Workers who specialize in dementia.  They can be good support, often have good information and assist us with our problem solving.

We are all here in support of one another and that now includes you too!

J.

Janco

Thanks for all the advise. I will definitely be calling that help line for venting, etc.  Sometimes I don't know how I am going to survive this thing. Hubs was irritable and insistant on locating things he misplaced.

ImMaggieMae

Janco, misplacing things was one of the first symptoms for my DH years ago,before the rest of this was even on our radar. But I was the one who was usually irritable about not being able to find things. Rule #1 : Never ask you LO with dementia to empty the dishwasher.

registrar

It doesn't look like anyone has been on this site for a while. Before I get into my question/situation, is there anyone actively here? i am mainly looking for a site to assist caregivers of friends/partners/siblings with dementia and/or cognitive impairment/decline in the LGBT community. It seems to be an underrepresented community so I'm at loss for finding support. I'd appreciate any info or suggestions you could provide. Thank you.

sbcspin

I may be way out of my element but does sexuality matter? Dementia aches for all of us.

Jo C.

Hello and a very warm welcome to you registrar. (This original Thread is an old one from 2022.) Before I address your question, is there anything you might like some input or assistance with? Just let us know, you will get responses and we would be happy to be of help.

AlzConnected switched to a new Platform about five months ago. The old Platform did indeed have a Forum for LGBTQ Members, but when the new Platform was initiated there were quite a few Forum changes. One of changes was that the LGBTQ Forum was no longer available.

My understanding is, that the Assn. plans to replace that Forum and make some other adjustments, but I am not aware of the time line.

I can say that despite having an LGBTQ Forum for quite some time, it was not well attended. Most of those few of those who initially Posted on the LGBTQ Forum left that and came onto the Spouse/Partner Forum or the Caregiver Forum. The reason being that there are SO many more responses and support. We are permitted to Post on any and all Forums we wish.

Never, in the years I have been on this site and all of the Forums, have I ever seen anything other than a warm welcome for our LGBTQ Members when using any of the Forums.

Some of our Members do not identify themselves. Unless we openly share, we are simply Members; we often do not know gender, race, religion, ethnic background; ages, orientation, etc., etc. It is really wonderful the amount of support here.

I know that there can be special circumstances/issues with being an LGBTQ person, but overall; the problems with dementia are so similar that much experiential wisdom and support are available, pertinent and helpful.

What I will do is to refer your question over to the Admin. Group of AlzConnected and address the interest for the LGBTQ Forum to once again be available.

J.

bcks66

We are a gay couple, and recently moved to Las Vegas. We've been together 27 years and my husband has been diagnosed with Alzhemiers last year and he has started Leqembi infusions (9 times) for far. We are hopeful that his condition would improve. He is not as sharp as before. I've done everything that the doctor suggested including change of diet, encouraging him to use his brain more by working some simple chores and doing brain quizzes and exercise.

Is there a support group in Las Vegas? I hope my husband have to opportunity to socialize more but we do not know anyone in Vegas.

trottingalong

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/214493#Comment_214493

hello and welcome. You have landed on a post from 2023. It would be best if you start your own post and ask this question so everyone can see it. You should see a plus sign in the upper right corner when you log in.

Lkrielow99

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/156848#Comment_156848

Rule #2, don’t let you LO pick up the folded clothes.
I spend hours searching for clothes and dishes that are all over house. Mail is another problem, it gets scattered from room to room and sorted in with old mail. I either laugh or cry, just depends
Janco you have landed in the right place. These members are insightful and experienced. Come back often, you are not alone.

harshedbuzz

@bcks66

Hi and welcome. I am sorry for your reason to be here, but pleased you found this place.

When dad was first diagnosed, I reached out to my local Alzheimer's Association to find an IRL support group. This is a link to the one in your area.

https://www.alz.org/dsw?set=1

If you are looking for something specific to the LGBT concerns, this site might have some resources for you.

https://www.sageusa.org/

HB