Husband

JoBer1954

I’m new here and desperately hopeful I can connect. It’s been about 7 years for my husband diagnoses and lately he is sleeping a lot, has trouble finding words and forgetting almost immediately. Not sure where to turn for information on his progression. Thank you in advance

charley0419

my wife diagnosed about 3 yrs ago doesn’t sleep slot but forgets a lot. No driving or cooking. Everything else she’s good so far but it’s all part of the nitmare

CindyBum

hello. I have found Tam Cummings DBAT very helpful in describing typical behaviors that mark the different stages.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6372d16ea4e02c7ce64425b7/t/63f7b80d80d8aa3e3aa4a47d/1677178894184/DBAT.pdf

Dio

JoBer, use the search function here on whatever topic you seek and you'll find an enormous treasure trove of knowledge, experience and beyond.

blacksparky

My DW is in her 3rd year of her EOAD. She doesn’t sleep a lot yet. I know everyone is different which makes it hard to guess the progression. My wife can do all her ADL’s but can’t do much more. She still talks but doesn’t make any sense, gets very confused with the little things that she used to do. I need to help her with making her coffee on the Keurig, starting the washer or dryer, starting the dishwasher, taking her meds and all of her IADL’s. She cries several times a day saying she doesn’t know what to do or how to do anything. She still knows my name but doesn’t know that I am her husband. I think she is definitely in stage 5 with some stage 6 descriptions. How long she will be like this, who knows. All we can do is take care of our LO’s and ourselves.

Timmyd

What I have learned and been told:

Progression is inevitable.

The symptoms of progression vary greatly.

It all ends at the same place.

So where does that leave us when we see some new and disturbing behavior? So far, I just assume it is all part of the journey, but I am very grateful that so far, nothing has happened beyond my capability to manage.

SDianeL

welcome. Sorry about your husband’s diagnosis. Google Stages of Dementia and you should see charts with 7 stages. Some have more detailed behaviors listed for each stage. Doctors hesitate to talk about stages because as others have mentioned, each person progresses differently depending on the part of the brain affected. Behaviors can overlap stages or not appear at all. I found it helpful to keep a list of my husbands behaviors and I sent them at least monthly to all his doctors. The Neurologist actually changed his diagnosis due to his behavior. I recommend the book “The 36 Hour Day” which helped me after my husbands diagnosis. You may already know much in the book but some info may help. Also Tam Cummings videos are good. Just search for them. Come here often for info and support.

SDianeL

https://arborsassistedliving.com/infographic-the-seven-stages-of-dementia/

Pat6177

Look up at the top of the page and you will see the purple banner. Tap on “Groups”, to the right, which is underlined. Scroll down till you see the group for new caregivers. Take a look there for information. If you’ve been dealing with this disease for 7 years, the info may or may not be helpful. Take a look and see.

Keep coming back and reading this forum. Most of what I have learned about this disease, I learned from reading the threads here. And reading about what others were going thru kept me from being blind sided when it happened to me.

Biggles

Hello welcome to this forum . My DH has VD plus Aphasia we are about year 6 into this, he sleeps a lot during the day with restless sleep during the night and is then awake and wandering at about 5.30 every morning. He is getting harder and harder to understand and his thoughts are scrambled. Time travels and the challenges keep coming; so does the learning and hopefully the compassion. Everybody on this forum is dealing with this debilitating disease, it can be a sad and lonely journey and you begin to understand the isolation that is felt, but here you can ask questions, talk about where you and your DH are at and vent. Keep in touch and reading.

Biggles

Daughter of a Marine

The best source of information I have found regarding all things Dementia (including stages and progression) is Dr. Tam Cummings' videos (find them on youtube). She is an expert everything I've learned about my dear husband's stage and condition I have learned from her. I'm so sorry you have a need for this information but understanding what's happening, what to do and what not to do is incredibly valuable to care givers and families. You are in my heart and prayers - please keep coming back to this site since we all genuinely care about one another and our loved ones. God bless you.

cmcontrat17k

Thank you so much, It’s the not knowing that’s hard, I call it good days and bad days. I will look up Dr, Cummings videos.