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Mom Recently Diagnosed
Hello! My mom was diagnosed in June with early onset ALZ. We had suspicions and they were confirmed, but it still hard to accept. She and my father live down the street from me. My dad has Parkinson's and she is his main caregiver. I help take them to doctor's appointments, often cook meals, do yardwork, help with finances…
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Angry
I’m not sure why, but all of a sudden I find myself angry at my husband. I snap at him when he asks me the same thing over and over. When he was diagnosed with ALZ I was able to stay calm and compassionate. Now I feel like I’m falling apart. Has anyone else experienced this. He’s in the early stages so he’s not even bad…
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Financially scary
If you have concerns about money handling, don't wait .
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Dad with zero short term memory in nursing home
My dad has zero short term memory and just got put in a nursing home. He is desparate to get out and see family members visiting every day. Bottom line is I get 10-15 phone calls every day stating he is miserable and needs to see a family member. I can't visit every day because I am over an hour away. I just feel guilty…
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New Diagnosis Support
Hello, My husband was diagnosed with MCI two years ago and within the last year we have had diagnostic testing for diagnosis of Ealry Alzheimers. He is doing well and on medications, but my question is about sharing diagnosis information with family. I have kept this private for the first year and then finally shared with…
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How long is it safe to leave someone with Stage 6 Moderately Severe Dementia alone?
Hi all, new to the forum, been supporting my mother diagnosed 5 years ago with Alzheimer's. Most of my support has been to help my father, the sole caregiver, take some breaks and figure out next steps, and to increase the contentedness my mother has and decrease her anxiety. I spent half of the last two years off and on…
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Leqembi
Just feeling blue this morning. Neurologist offered Leqembi infusions to DH with ALZ. DH is 90. It's 18 months of every other week infustions that will only delay the inevitble by months, not years, and if he does't have a brain hemmorage or stroke there are high odds of migranes and other side effects. We opted not to do…
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I Miss A Real Wife
Did that title grab your attention? This will be a somewhat long, therapeutic post. I have been married to my dear wife for 26 years, with nearly seven of those years in the dementia/caregiving scenario. Fully one quarter of my marriage has been overshadowed by dementia. I miss having a real wife. We had just 19 years…
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How normal is it?
How normal is it to have someone go from mid to late stage 5 back to a 1 or 2 for what I think has actually been weeks now? My DH is almost himself. Though I'm grateful, I'm trying to figure out what I'm dealing with. His mother died of dementia. His sister was DX'd with EO 3 years ago, given a 4 year prognosis, took the…
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Sundowners
Could this be sundowning? My DH was married to his first wife for 23 years. We have been married 32 years. This last week, in the evening only, he keeps telling me that he knows he divorced his first wife, but then asks me - did I ever remarry or do I have girlfriends? I’m wondering if this is part of sundowning because it…
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New to this
Greetings all. I thank you in advance for being here. Just over a year ago my dh of 48 years came home from routine Dr appointment with memory loss dx. For months we both questioned it. But in this moment I see that it was correct. Several weeks ago we had a difficult thing happen in our family. Significant enough to cause…
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Going on nine years
I am outside of my church that I go to every time I see my mom at the nursing home. It's the only way I can see her and not want to escape into my old ways of addiction. She has a rash now on her face and head. I know when I kissed her, hugged her and prayed with her she opened her eyes. She used to hum when I saw her,at…
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My DW isolating herself
My wife was recently diagnosed with AZD- following a rapid change in her behaviors and moods. Since her diagnosis a month and a half ago, she has increasingly removed herself from any social interaction (including with myself, our children, grandchildren and close friends by lying in bed and refusing to get up. When she…
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When to correct?
Seeking soem conventional wisdom on when and how to "correct" my wife of 48 years. She is mid stages of Alzheimer's and is now most happy talking about her early years of growing up. I try not to "correct" most things but am wondering what to say when she questions who I am, how long we have lived in our home. She believes…
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Long overdue update
It's been a long time since I have posted on this forum. Not sure if I belong here any longer but I can't find another forum that even comes close to fitting our situation. For a quick recap my DH has had cognitive issues for over a decade, due to TIA's, white matter disease and an autoimmune disease. Significant history…
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Hiccups
My dad has been diagnosed with both Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body dementia. One problem we are running into is that he always has the hiccups. It has been going on for almost 8 months. Medications do not work. Neurologists said not real tested to disease and primary says it does. In the meantime nobody is looking into the…
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Dementia Cruises/Vacations
When I searched this topic, I came up with a thread from a few years ago. Has anyone had recent experience with a travel company that takes specialized trips for PWD and their caregiver?
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writing to you all here helps so much
Hello dear community, It's been a little over a year for me and my dad on this journey. Emotionally it's still a roller coaster for me (as I know you all understand), but I can tell that I am improving in my knowledge and awareness of this disease. Am I still having the rug pulled out from underneath me from time to time?…
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Mom fell!
My mom fell a few days ago (was using her walker just like she always does) and it was right after she woke up to take her dog out so she was probably a bit groggy and it looks like she either lost her balance or her knee buckled but she went smack down on our sidewalk leading up to our door and fractured her pelvis in 3…
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Taking advantage of an old post
If you are struggling, or just want to be ahead of the game, check out this post I started in Oct. 2023. It's about a free online 5 day course for caregivers, and the links all seem to be working. Take advantage while you can.
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DH now in MC - give it time-update
I moved my DH into MC late May. He is early stage 6. I got him there by saying our hardwood floors were being refinished and we are staying in a hotel. The first 6 weeks were absolutely awful. Highs and lows but mainly lows. He went from being continent to incontinent. He refused to eat. DH went from going in and out of…
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New to this disease
Hello everyone, I am not too sure what I'm seeking here, maybe a place to vent my frustrations, maybe advice or a friendly sentiment of I'm not alone in this journey. My father was diagnosed over three years ago with Dementia and Alzheimer's disease. His wife did an amazing job of hiding it from everyone until that was no…
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From the NYT: I’m Losing My Memory. Why Is My Husband Being Insensitive About It?
I thought this was a sensitive reminder of how emotional intelligence remains in dementia/memory loss. I liked, too, that the experience of the spouse was also explored. It should be a gifted link.…
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Turning Corners and Crossing Bridges
Belated Happy Thanksgiving, y’all! I remain so grateful for this group, the life I’ve had with my DW, and even for parts of the life I still have with her. With that, the holiday was difficult as she turned another corner. Her stepdaughter and family were here, which was so nice on one hand. On the other, my DW asked me…
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Seizures, are they part of the journey?
My DH, just turned 56, diagnosed with FD and EOAD, has had what I thought were dizzy spells. He's had 5 in the last 12 days. He's aware and alerts me to what's happening, they last about 15 minutes and his arms shake with exaggerated motion. The doctor thinks they are seizures and has ordered a CT scan. Is this normal,…
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life after memory care?
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I need help making a decision about supplementing food intake in late stage 6 DH
My DH is in late stage 6 dementia. He is almost non-verbal, double incontinent, in a wheelchair and unable to do anything for himself without assistance. He has been moved from a MC facility to skilled nursing because he requires so much help. He has to be fed, but he eats well and taps his finger when he is ready for…
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DW Seizure
My DW who has been living with ALZ for 7 years (64 yr) had a seizure last week ( first one) about 9:30 AM in the morning. The seizure lasted about a min and to see your wife in convulsions was really shocking for me to and called 911. The EMT checked her out and although she was out of it all her vitals were ok and did not…
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I don’t know what to do!!
My mother will be 70 years old and my sister and I started seeing changes happening with my mom. We thought it was because my our brother passed away at age 38 and threw my mom in a depression. But it’s been four years and my mother‘s behavior is scaring us. She started hearing things seeing things tasting things smelling…
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GUIDE Program - Experiences?
Good day, I am the caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's. My LO's care provider has enrolled her in the Medicare GUIDE program, which is supposed to provide intensive case management to individuals with dementia who reside at home. Does anyone have experience with this program? Can you share what the program has done for…