Stage 6 - Memory Care?

hiya

My husband is stage 6. He dropped 7 points on his MMSE in one year. I’m seriously considering memory care. I’m concerned about finances. It says stage 6 averages 2.5 years. How long have yr LO’s stayed in stage 6? Do all become incontinent or can they skip that? DH doesn’t sit down all day, he has to be doing ‘something’. Will that make it harder for him to adjust to MC? I hate this disease.

sandwichone123

Many folks find the challenges of Stage 6 lead to Memory Care placement.

charley0419

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/239479#Comment_239479

this disease sucks

SDianeL

sorry you are at this point. This disease does suck! Each person progresses differently depending on many factors and what area of the brain is affected by the disease. Not everyone becomes incontinent but most do. Many also become bedridden. They have activities at memory care so that may help him adjust. Memory care is locked so he can’t wander. Have you talked to an elder care attorney about finances? They may be able to help. Hugs.

CindiEC

my observation after touring several MC facilities and placing my DH is 2, is that most prefer residents who are sedentary or completely non ambulatory. Some will even suggest medications to “calm down” residents. Discussions with family members of residents have told me the same thing. One family at one facility had a LO who wanted to walk all the time. They were taking him out of the facility for walks almost everyday and still the facility was complaining about his activity.
I’m sure every place isn’t like this and I don’t mean to be discouraging but I am telling you my observations across 4 different facilities.
Choose wisely and yes this is a horrible disease and it takes its toll on all of us whose LO are suffering from it.

BPS

There are a couple of residents at the MC where my wife is that are up walking a lot of the time. It is a small facility so they walk up and down the short halls and sometimes try to go out the doors but they are locked so no one can wonder off. The staff check with them to see if they need anything but mostly just let them walk if that is what they want to do.

harshedbuzz

@hiya

It's very difficult to plan around a finite amount of resources for care with so unpredictable a disease. This is hellish for those who feel compelled to plan.

It's really hard to say whether you DH will be average or not. My dad was at stage 6 a shorter period of time, but he progressed quickly after he hit stage 5 and some of what we assumed to be late-stage 6 was probably stage 7.

TBH, I don't know if anyone dodges incontinence. (PSA if you don't already have a waterproof six-sided mattress protector, do that today) Some folks seem to delay it by maintaining a regular toileting schedule of visits every 2 hours or when behaviors indicate a need.

Wandering was fairly common at dad's MCF. The purpose-built building was safe and allowed for this behavior. There were also activities, some physical, for those who need to be busy.

I never saw anyone sedated at dad's MCF. One place a did visit had several patients in Geri chairs near the nurses' station but these were people in the latest stages and the unit was a SNF not a MCF. Sometimes doctors will medicate to dial back the wandering if there is a medical need like extreme weight loss or injury in healing but not so much that they seemed like zombies.

HB

ladyzetta

My DH was in MC for 2 years. He could walk a little when he went in, so when I visited I took him out for short walks. When it got hard for him to walk he went into a wheelchair and I would still take him out for walks in the chair. MC was always locked so he was allowed to walk any time he wanted, day or night. The TV was always on in the living room, and always watchful eyes, he always was safe.

He did become incontent, that was one of the reasons I had to place him. And we did qualify for Medicaid, that helped a lot. Good Luck to you both. Hugs Zetta

sandwichone123

My spouse loved to walk and the place I chose had a large outdoor area with curving paths so he never ran into a dead end or locked door but he could wander safely. There is a man there that walks A LOT, and has done so for over a year now but the facility was purpose-built to allow that.