Have any questions about how to use the community? Check out the Help Discussion.
long distance - Mom refuses to be evaluated & Dad isn't taking action
DDdkd
Member Posts: 1 New
My parents live in a different city, and we are deeply concerned about my mom’s health. She is 78 and has been showing signs of memory loss for the last couple of years, which are progressively worsening. She refuses to acknowledge the issue, won’t allow herself to be formally diagnosed, and has made my dad promise not to share her struggles with my sister and me. Her mother had dementia, and we suspect she fears the same diagnosis.
She retired just before COVID and was hoping my dad (he’s 80) would do the same. Now, she spends every weekday alone at home while my dad, who runs his own business, is at work. He knows he needs to sell his company but honestly, I don’t think he’s taken any steps to move forward with that decision. He knows that isolation is the worst thing for her and yet...he still goes to work.
Despite having access to a renowned dementia institute and us providing him with a ton of resources from the Alzheimer’s Association, progress is stalled because of my mom’s lack of consent to be evaluated and my dad’s reluctance to take decisive action.
We’ve tried to convince her to come and stay with us even for just a couple of days—offering to pick her up or take the train—but she refuses, providing vague excuses.
Her angry outbursts are becoming more frequent and severe, and I fear that isolation is only making things worse. We've tried to be direct and have open conversations, but she shuts us out.
This feels like a ticking time bomb. We are worried that if things continue as they are, her mental health will worsen, leading to a potential crisis. I also don’t think they’ve set up any legal safeguards and when we ask about it, my dad brushes us off.
If anyone has advice on what we can do next, especially in terms of how to navigate this challenging situation, I’d really appreciate it. Feeling so incredibly helpless...
She retired just before COVID and was hoping my dad (he’s 80) would do the same. Now, she spends every weekday alone at home while my dad, who runs his own business, is at work. He knows he needs to sell his company but honestly, I don’t think he’s taken any steps to move forward with that decision. He knows that isolation is the worst thing for her and yet...he still goes to work.
Despite having access to a renowned dementia institute and us providing him with a ton of resources from the Alzheimer’s Association, progress is stalled because of my mom’s lack of consent to be evaluated and my dad’s reluctance to take decisive action.
We’ve tried to convince her to come and stay with us even for just a couple of days—offering to pick her up or take the train—but she refuses, providing vague excuses.
Her angry outbursts are becoming more frequent and severe, and I fear that isolation is only making things worse. We've tried to be direct and have open conversations, but she shuts us out.
This feels like a ticking time bomb. We are worried that if things continue as they are, her mental health will worsen, leading to a potential crisis. I also don’t think they’ve set up any legal safeguards and when we ask about it, my dad brushes us off.
If anyone has advice on what we can do next, especially in terms of how to navigate this challenging situation, I’d really appreciate it. Feeling so incredibly helpless...
Tagged:
0
Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
Read more
Categories
- All Categories
- 469 Living With Alzheimer's or Dementia
- 237 I Am Living With Alzheimer's or Other Dementia
- 232 I Am Living With Younger Onset Alzheimer's
- 14K Supporting Someone Living with Dementia
- 5.2K I Am a Caregiver (General Topics)
- 6.8K Caring For a Spouse or Partner
- 1.8K Caring for a Parent
- 155 Caring Long Distance
- 104 Supporting Those Who Have Lost Someone
- 11 Discusiones en Español
- 2 Vivir con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- 1 Vivo con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- 1 Vivo con Alzheimer de Inicio Más Joven
- 9 Prestación de Cuidado
- 2 Soy Cuidador (Temas Generales)
- 6 Cuidar de un Padre
- 22 ALZConnected Resources
- View Discussions For People Living with Dementia
- View Discussions for Caregivers
- Discusiones en Español
- Browse All Discussions
- Dementia Resources
- 6 Account Assistance
- 16 Help