Progression with acknowledging and remembering
Hello everyone, I have noticed a progression with my father’s memory loss. It seems to be getting much worse in the last 3 weeks. He can’t remember to much from one instance to the next. For example he will go to set his keys down and next thing you know he does t know what he did with them and now can’t find them. He recently misplaced his wallet and while looking for it called me 3 times to ask what he was looking for. Although he had trouble remembering things before this has progressed quickly recently. I did ask his Doctor and she said there isn’t a time line for how quickly or slowly it will progress? I am also noticing in conversation he is having trouble with words more than before. Can anyone tell me there experience with the progression?
Comments
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Hi JM27. It will vary with the type of dementia. In vascular dementia there can be sudden sharp decreases in abilities, and with Alzheimer's the decline is steady. Has he had any assessment where they've diagnosed dementia, and if so, which type?
Also keep in mind that progression may also be affected by acute illness-the flu, Covid, a UTI. etc., so those should be ruled out by his healthcare provider.
Either way, it sounds like he's needing more support as he may be forgetting to take meds, or even eat. If an accident occurs he might not be able to rescue himself. If he's driving, he shouldn't . If you've had a plan in place for what to do 'eventually', it's time to start moving forward with that.
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Hi Emily 123, he has had a cognitive test done with a phycologist and his PCP states is Alzheimers’s dementia. But to be honest I don’t think she knows. She has only seen him twice. And now I am moving him to California with me so we are in process of care transfer to another state. He has not been taking his meds or eating regularly. I will be going to get him tomorrow and hopefully once I get him here we can get him to eating regulaly and medication on schedule.
Thank you for the response
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Hi again. Would he need to have a neurological testing to determine what type it is? He has had an mri and the dr at that time said it was in the front of the brain and the capillaries where showing grey in areas that are no longer working correctly. But no one except the dr now has said what type of dementia it is.
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welcome to the forum JM. No testing will really distinguish between the types of dementia. Vascular and Alzheimer’s are the most common. Frontotemporal dementia and Kewy Body can sometimes have distinctive imaging patterns, but the neuropsychiatric testing does not really distinguish.
Sorry you are facing this. If you look to the right under Quick Kinks and Groups, there is one for new members with a lot of useful information. Be sure especially that you have the legal affairs in order (durable power of attorney for healthcare and finances). Good luck.
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With my mom she seemed to show bursts in declines in the last 3 or 4 years, where it seemed overnight there was a distinctive decline. I noticed a decline about 7-8 months ago with changes in behavior primarily then about two months ago it’s forgetting who people are, not wanting to eat (but will if I just leave something near her) and not using the proper words on occasion. There are other more subtle changes with her like only wearing pajamas or worrying about getting mail.
I was told or read that there isn’t really a way to distinguish what is the cause of the dementia exactly but rather by the behavior of the individual coupled with what functions are declining first. I think, does it really even matter to us as the caregiver , there is no cure for any of the causes.
Prayers for a peaceful transition.1 -
Hi mablegirl,
Thank you for the response. I think something maybe triggering the decline possibly anxiety. But I do also am starting to understand it can come in bursts as you explained with you case with your mom.0 -
Hi M1.
thank you for the response! Luckily I took care of the power of attorney for finances and well as durable. Thank you for sending the good luck wishes my way! It’s greatly appreciated.0 -
Hi again, JM27,
If you're trying to keep your dad in the loop in terms of what's going on with the move it may be exacerbating his behaviors. The disease leaves the person with a limited bandwidth to process more than one piece of information at a time, and leaves them unable to adapt very well, resulting in anxiety. They're very reliant on routine and a familiar environment, and disruptions to that will throw them off track.
I would expect your dad to be more confused or unable to focus, knowing that he can't retain new information or 'imprint' a memory of new environments. That may be what you're seeing or will see.
At some point, for their peace of mind, it can help to limit their participation in decisions about any move, and keep the sharing of information to what they can process. So perhaps a major move might be too much for him to worry about, but maybe he can handle the activity if he thinks it's a summer vacation visit with you. Most folks here on the forum will recommend that you keep your loved one as insulated from the moving process and decisions as you can. You may want to discuss with his provider if something for anxiety might help him with the move.
Throughout this, it's important to remember that you are doing this to help your dad because he's being affected by a disease. You are trying to make good decisions on his behalf to keep him safe, because he can no longer do so. Hang in there.
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Hi Emily 123,
He thinks he’s coming to visit California to look at houses. Unfortunately he does not know he will not be going back home. Besides him knowing he’s coming to visit which he doesn’t always retain I am not including him in on moving ect. I do think some of the anxiety is he knows he needs to sell his home and get stuff ready to sell, but he is no longer capable of doing those things. I have decided to keep him out of those decision get him here to safety and then go back and deal with his things and home.Thank you so much for the love and support and the reminder that I am doing this to help him as he no longer can. That is very helpful. Thank you again ❤️
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This is a great staging tool. Everyone is different, but it gives you some idea of what to expect. I hope the move goes good and he is able to adjust well to the move.
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Sounds like you are doing everything you can in exactly the right way. You won't get a sense of new baseline until he is in the new environment for a while. Keep us posted how it goes, none of it is easy.
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Hi Chug,
Thank you for the well wishes and the chart very helpful! ❤️
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Hi M1,
Thank you. I will keep you posted.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
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