Confused

nancy_smith

This is my first post here on the website. My husband was always a rather self Centered person, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in November. And now every single thing is about him, he still pretty functioning, he can drive. His memory is shot. He gets confused. He spends a lot of time talking out loud to himself, which is new. He could be looking for his favorite ice cream scoop, and it could be right in front of him, but he does noes not c it.

M1

Hi nancy and welcome to the forum. Loss of empathy is part and parcel of the disease, and if he was self centered to start with this is not surprising. It may make your role as caregiver all the harder.

If he has trouble processing visual cues (not recognizing objects right in front of him, he should likely not be driving. There are lots and lots of discussions about this that you may want to look through. It's a battle for many, but it's crucial. Read a lot of threads and you will learn a lot. You have come to a supportive place.

concerned_sister

Welcome Nancy,

So sorry you and your dear husband are now dealing with this. Your description, "he can drive. His memory is shot. He gets confused," concerned me as well. I hope you find a strategy that will keep both you and hubby safe, and protect your assets.

SSHarkey

Hello Nancy. I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. We are all here in this together. As the others said, your big safety concern is the driving. Add to that all the legal work that needs to be updated. M1 is correct regarding his personality traits. You’re definitely going to need to create a support system to help you through this. We’re all here for you. Wishing you the best.

Iris L.

Agnosia--not recognizing things right in front of the PWD.

Iris

LJCHR

Welcome to the site, Nancy. It is a wonderful place to come and get support and information from people who are living this terrible disease. I agree with the others, the driving is worrisome and one of the hardest things to overcome. I was fortunate that we moved into an independent living facility and didn't want to pay parking for 2 vehicles. I convinced my husband to give his vehicle to our twin grandsons who had just gotten their driving licenses.

Keep coming back to this site - it is always here for us.

brs

I'm sorry you're dealing with this Nancy. I too am married to a self centered person and sometimes the disease exacerbates this trait. When I'm feeling hurt or overwhelmed I ask myself, "is this the disease or is he just an a__hole?" this is reality. I'm learning not to be so judgmental of myself which acknowledges my feelings and results in more compassion for him and I. We're all human learning a new life 💞 remember to be kind to yourself.

brs