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6 month wait for a neurologist?
My DH clearly suffers from dementia. Can't do any of the things asked by his doctor's nurse (Draw a clock, remember 5 things, draw a square inside a circle...), sundowning daily. Yesterday he was frantic because he thought an airplane had flown into our building above us and the bldg was going to collapse. He wanted to use…
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Tired and Sad Need to Talk
Things seem to be getting worse although it’s hard to tell. Sometimes my DH is relatively responsive but everything seems to be getting harder and slower. He is having an ECG next week an irregular heart beat, he has swollen ankles and sleeps a lot during the day and most of the night until 4.30am anyway. Has trouble…
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Hospital stay - now what?
My mom (72) has been in MC since August. Minimum assistance w ADLs. Took her to ER on Saturday bc Flu and low BP. They admitted her to monitor her heart rate, oxygen, dehydration and kidney function. Pretty much was severely dehydrated which caused the acute kidney injury and low blood pressure. She’s stable but wheezing.…
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Care Giving Conundrum
Been away for a while. Doing my best to keep up. Last week things changed from somewhere in Moderate to Advanced. Still waiting for the new instructions. [:o). Things are changing. Still greeted most morning with "how do I get out of here!". Needs to go home are still based on some kind of family emergency and difficult to…
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It was a long and scary week
Last Thursday, January 9th, MC called and said my DH was very ill and an x-ray showed he had bronchitis and pneumonia and needed immediate medical attention. They sent him by ambulance to the ER. We were digging out from a blizzard that had dumped over a foot of snow on our area and I was still not able to get out. A…
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Oh no. New low
My DH as certainly been declining lately. Just now he asked me where our kids are. He says they aren’t here. Of course they are not. They are 47, 44, and 43 and all have their own homes. It reminds me of his mother who had Alzheimer’s and who called 911 saying the kids were playing in the yard and were now missing. I think…
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Mom stopped walking, starting hospice consultation
I’m exhausted. Mom moved in with us 2.5 months ago. We rehabilitated her after a failed rehab stay following a hospitalization. But she’s declining. Hospice support sounds promising because I need more help. She stopped walking today due to intense pain in her bad hip, but she also shuffles/drags her feet so maybe it’s…
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New Alzheimer’s treatment being studied!
https://scitechdaily.com/a-breath-away-from-a-cure-how-xenon-gas-could-transform-alzheimers-treatment/
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LO Continues to Lose Weight
I had posted earlier about when it is time to get Hospice involved. I have been busy getting my LO set up with home health three times a week, and Palliative care. My concern is still that my LO will not eat food. This weekend she aspirated twice on soup and coke. I also noticed that she is not snoring at night. This is a…
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New issue
My DH had a physical spell early this morning. He wanted up to go to bathroom about 5 a.m. this morning. I made sure he made it to the toilet and let him have some privacy. He was in there a little longer than usual, so asked if he needed some help. Found him weak and very pale and clammy. I helped get him back to bed and…
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When to move?
My husband was diagnosed with MCI a year ago and is declining. We had planned to downsize, but now I'm wondering if that would be too disorienting for him. He already carries a lot of anxiety before this diagnosis, and I worry that a move will accelerate his condition. On the other hand, it really is time to get out of…
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I wrote this essay to help others after losing my father to a long battle with Alzheimer's.
After losing my father to a long battle with Alzheimer's, I wrote this essay to help people navigate through the devastating journey of having a loved one with Alzheimer's, because it is the family and those closest to the individual with the disease who bear the greatest burden. Most people find themselves thrust into…
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obsessions
New to this support area. My DW seems to be declining slowly but in bursts. Latest is waking at 2-4 AM very agitated, obsessing about eggs and chicken, angry, saying she is leaving, spitting and hitting if I try to calm her. Some nights doesn't happen? Can occur during day too--no idea where this came from. No matter how…
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Lequimbe
Hello. I'm new to the group and I'm hoping for advice and information as I navigate this new life with my LO. A year ago at 59, he was diagnosed with MCI. This has been going on for four years now, and in the last six months it seems to be progressing quickly. The dr wants to start him on Lequinbe but he hasn't had a…
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Daily Catholic Mass Podcast
For any Catholics, lapsed Catholics, or Catholic curious here’s a link to the daily mass readings. I left the church at age 14 & became an atheist but returned this October at age 52. It’s the best thing I've ever done for myself. I hope this gift reaches others.
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Dad is new to community and NOT going well HELP!!
My dad was moved to MC. We are moving him to a closer community that has residents at his level - walkies-talkies. But he is having a hard time adjusting. He is not eating and tells us he wants to come home. He ended up in MC bc he left to find the bus to take him home. He is not drinking his cranberry juice, eating meals…
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ALZ and type 1 diabetes
my DH is both. Memory worsening and has shut off his insulin pump several times and forgot. I'm afraid he needs help managing diabetes. He is also becoming difficult to live with because of anger and just forgetting what we are discussing during a conversation. He refuses assisted living. They say I can't force him. I am…
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Arguments that seem impossible to stop
Hi, alright I am new on this and taking care of my 72 year old mother. Are there any simple ways to get a person with dementia to stop arguing? Once my mother gets mad it seems impossible to get her to even attempt to think of something different. She likes to just make it seem like I have ruined her entire life and no…
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Sister was diagnosed 11-12 yrs ago...
I joined this forum in Sept 2022 because I was caring for my husband who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's-Posterior Cortical Atrophy in 2021. I had to place my DH in memory care in Dec 2023 due to my cancer diagnosis. My husband Lonny passed August 12. Because I was overwhelmed with caring for my DH & my cancer diagnosis, I…
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Memory Friendly Phone
does anyone have a recommendation for a phone? I’ve looked at a brand called Raz. It looks good online but would love everyone’s input/experience. thank you
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Early Onset
Hi, I am 59 years old and was just diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. To say the least I am devastated. Lots and lots of ugly crying. I am trying to get my hands around all of this, so many things to do and so many questions? Has anyone ever been on a clinical trial? What was it like? I have started taking…
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No idea what to do next…
Hello, my name is Sandy and I am turning 51 years old this coming spring. I have not actually been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s or dementia, but I am in need of help in knowing whether I should accept what my neurologist is telling me or if I should be more aggressive in figuring all this out on my own. A little…
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Diagnosis questions
I mentioned in my first thread that I'm not a primary caregiver for my MIL, but I want to try to be informed and helpful when I do interact with her. What I'm curious about is the diagnosis of dementia, from a qualified medical professional. My sister-in-law has medical power-of-attorney for my MIL, and she and her husband…
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How to handle long distance Mother
First time poster here. My Mom lives in NV I live in MO. For the last 3 years it seems my Mom has signs and symptoms of dementia. No diagnosis and my Mom will not go to a doctor for anything. She is fit, healthy, active but it is clear her cognitive abilities are intermittently affected by “dementia?” She takes no…
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Safeguard your sanctuary
Because he snores, jerks, and rolls over on to me, I sleep in a windowless room in the basement. In trying to engage my husband in a task I asked him to help me clean the light fixtures in the basement (holding the screws, wiping the inside of the fixtures, etc.) Now he states that he never knew about this room and insists…
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Aphasia
My poor DW. Her aphasia is now to the point where she really, really struggles to get a full sentence out. Many of her "sentences" are just a mix of random words, but she really thinks she's telling me things. Her frustration is growing and now she thinks I'm not understanding on purpose or not listening to her. I had done…
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visiting assisted living facilities
Hopefully DH will be able to stay home through most of this journey, he is fully stage 5 and moving towards stage 6. I visited one memory care and want to see a few more, for "just in case." The first one, I made an appointment, DH is not aware of this and I don't plan to take him to any. But I'm wondering how a visit goes…
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MIL Needs Help But Has No Official Diagnosis - We Need Doctor to Come to Her
My MIL regularly does not recognize her family, has no short term memory and appears to be creating false memories, no longer knows how to do things like use a phone, is frequently hostile, thinks people live in her house, has wandered, no longer wants to bathe - I could go on and on - the problem is that she has always…
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Norovirus at assisted living
My mom had norovirus but no longer has symptoms, but her whole facility is on lockdown and she is really confused and decompensating fast (being isolated). We are being told to stay away, and I have kids myself, so I'm trying to decide if it is safe enough to go over and try to at least find her remote, find her phone, put…
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California Fires
I pray to God that none of our dear Members are affected by these horrific fires. We have enough on our plates without having to contend with this. What a way to start 2025