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Emotional Abuse
Hi there, This is my first post and, I'm really desperate for help or advice. I am moving cross country to care for and support my mother who was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's (though, I think this has been progressing over the last several years). I am doing everything I can to help her and it never seems like enough or…
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help
Hello everyone, I have my grandfather who has senile dementia and they discovered it 5 years ago. I live with my grandmother and my grandfather. My grandmother is the one who takes care of him but she has a strong character and has no patience and when my grandfather tells her who wants to go to work or something else, for…
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Alzheimer
Hola,mi papá enfermó de Alzheimer hace varios años y grácias a la medicación prescrita tuvimos la gran suerte de poder disfrutar de él por más tiempo aunque la enfermedad iba avanzando lentamente hasta que nos dejó el pasado 18 de diciembre de 2023. D.E.P pare
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Medication Help
A few years ago before my mom had a confirmed diagnosis of ALZ, she was started on Lexapro 20mg, then namenda and aricept. She’s been in AL for 3 months. Geriatric Psych at the facility added on Wellbutrin 8 weeks ago bc of depression/apathy. 2 weeks ago she started Xanax .25mg 3/day bc of her aggression/anxiety. She…
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Super fast decline to stage 7, what next?
I feel like I'm coming here with questions that I know don't have good/any answers, but I am really appreciating all of the shared knowledge and compassion in this forum. My mother has been on hospice for about a month and in a small MC since April. Moving into the MC seemed to trigger a speed run from late Stage 6 to late…
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New here and just feeling defeated and depressed and alone
Hi I'm new here...I just feel so hopeless and depressed...My Mom was diagnosed 2 yrs ago with Alz...I've been taking turns with my sister going up home to take care of her..when I leave I feel so depressed and like I am abandoning her and can't wait to go back in another 3 months....no one understands...of course my sister…
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New here and looking for tips
Hi, My mom, now 63, was diagnosed with Early onset. The symptoms became evident rapidly after May of last year. Honestly, I came to this forum shortly after that time in an effort to learn as much as possible and was instantly depressed by what I had been reading and felt like "I can't do this right now." Now, about a year…
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Increased hallucinations while on hospice
Wondering and thinking out loud. Since being on hospice for a week the hospice doctor changed much her medications. The ones she was on the doctor said they don't really help and actually increase anxiety and agitation so my DW was placed on a different regimen of meds. While I agree with the assessment I'm wondering if…
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Level of Care
So in considering what kind of facility my mom needs, and as part of the Medicaid approval process, do they assess how much care she needs to know where to place her? This may be a stupid question, but as I search the few MC facilities in our area that accept Medicaid, they all seem like the patients are VERY high need. My…
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Mom With EOAD Lacks Motivation
Hi, I’m grateful to have come across this resource. Last year, my mother (60 years old at the time) was diagnosed with EOAD. While the diagnosis came as a shock for someone of her age, we were noticing a decline in her cognitive functions, particular with regards to time (not knowing what day it is, showing up to to…
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Caregiving when you have pretty severe mental health issues yourself
Hello. I do some caregiving for someone who is quickly declining. We mostly go for walks. I have severe depression and anxiety myself. I am also unfortunately an empath so her distress sticks to me for hours or more. When she says paranoid delusions about her primary caregiver, I am at a loss for how to respond. I am…
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Insomnia due to caregiver burnout
If you have experienced insomnia due to caregiver stress and burnout, how did you fix it? I havent been able to sleep in two weeks and I am very concerned. I know not sleeping is bad so please do not tell me the dangers, just tell me solutions if you have any! I have already tried: melatonin sleep aids, non-melatonin sleep…
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Rough night
I have been dealing with DH with FTD. I think it has been a slow decline with behavioral variant since 2009. My daughter is now 14. I have raised three teens alone through this. He talks to himself daily, screams and yells, hides or loses items and think there are "others" sabotaging his life. We are honestly very use to…
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I just don’t know?!?!
Enjoying dinner with former work friends tonight! Oh my such a wonderful, full of belly laughs time. Paying bill, ready to go and friend says isn’t that your husband coming over? Well I was dumbfounded! Apparently he was sitting at the bar drank not sure if he ate and staggered over when he was leaving! Friends were great…
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Feeling guilty about hospice and husband passing away
My wonderful husband passed away August 3rd. I miss him terribly. He was 71, and he had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s about 9 years ago. He also had diabetes and vascular dementia, along with some other health issues. I am fortunate that I was able to keep him home the whole time, and I was able to work ( I…
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Denial
My elder with Alzheimer’s has no short term memory at all. Before Alzheimer’s she’d deny any problem like this anyway. Is it even worth the bother trying to get her to understand? Thanks!
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Elopement and MC Assessment
My DH had a MC assessment today and things were going ok until the elopement question. Does your DH wander? I told the truth that occasionally he wanders (with me following him). I told them that DH wandered last week at night. They asked if I was able to bring him home and I told them I had to call the police for an…
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Finally...
I finally got an answer for what I've been dealing with for the past few months. Actually, it's been longer than that, much longer. I had been complaining of shortness of breath on exertion and extreme fatigue and tired muscles. I've seen two sleep doctors for a diagnosis of sleep apnea as a cause of the extreme fatigue.…
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Meds for Spouses?
Sorry - kind of long but looking for advice for how to manage my own emotions. My 68 year old DH - probably stage 5-6- was placed 3 months ago due to aggression, high anxiety, not sleeping, wandering, and extreme agitation. New meds, the skill of the MC nurses, and the fact that he can wander about the hallways and talk to…
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Testing MRI with contrast dye?
my DH is supposed to have 4 MRIs today— one with contrast dye. I’m reading about possible problems for elderly patients with dementia and/or heart disease with the contrast dye…he’s frail and I don’t want to put him through nausea/rashes/increased cognitive issues —- I’m thinking of having him do only the three MRIs…
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Loneliness
Hi! I've been caring for my Mom for over eight years. She's now in late/severe stage which has it's challenges but things are more calm now. It is hard to find caregivers & I do not "get out" enough; we are somewhat forgotten. I am tired. The days/weeks/years fly by. So… I thought I'd say "hello, we are alive." Take care,…
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Humor even in the late stages
My son and I share a penchant for really bad jokes. I heard three last night on a TV show (see below), and I sent them to him with the predictable response. I thought about telling them to my partner—but then I thought no, she probably wouldn't get the punch lines. But: she was having a really good day today, was actually…
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Memory Care or Keep trying at home
Is there some magic way to know when the time is right to have your loved one in a Memory Care Facility? A tipping point? I don't want to, for some reason. But I'm exhausted . I feel it would be more for me than him if he went there. Is that the right reason? He is still considered early stage. But the care needed is…
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What if money tight
What are your options if you financially can’t afford care at a facility??
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My 74 yo husband is my caregiver
My mother died from Alzheimers about 5 years ago. Knowing that can be inherited, I got a world class neurologist and had a spinal tap to see if I had the gene. I did. I am now 3 or 4 years into this and am taking a drug that I inhale called Prevagen. It seems to be working but I’m still having some emotional ups and downs…
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Put Mom in MC - Feeling Guilty
Yesterday I pur my 89 year old Mother in MC. I am feeling so guilty, like I failed her. I got her there under the guise of meeting a friend, then I just left her. I had ask the staff while preparing her room about leaving phones and tablets for her, they said leave it. Last evening my mom start posting things on Facebook…
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Aggression and apathy
My grandmother is in an assisted living/nursing home. She has Alzheimer’s disease. She becomes physically aggressive with staff and scratches, hits, kicks, and tries to bite them. This is happening more often, which I believe is from the Alzheimer’s. Lately, my grandmother will just lay in her bed and pretend to sleep. She…
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Move done , blocked phone
Well the move went well as planned into AL. She seemed happy , all be it tired after all the activity she’s not been used to. We did have an issue with the room mate. Per the director the roommate understood the common areas would be shared but she wasn’t going to have it. Thank goodness her family paid for a single suite…
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Qualifying for hospice
This is my first post since I joined this group months ago after DH was diagnosed and I’d really like input from others who have had similar experiences. Over the last 4-5 months he’s had a rapid decline physically. For a month or so, the decline was both cognitive and physical, but he had some improvement cognitively…
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Nail biting
My DH started to bite his nails way down. This is a habit he never had in the past. He tells me he can stop, but minutes later he is back biting. Worries with cold, flu seasons and germs he may pick up.