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Feeling helpless
My Mom has entered the later stages of early onset, 68 years old. Since the time change for daylight savings things have gotten worse quickly. Recently, she has had the police called on her for wondering the neighborhood and trying to enter strangers cars. This has all culminated in a fall and a broken foot landing her in…
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Brain shrinkage
Good Morning Warriors. I tried to research the subject of brain shrinkage and changes in facial features. There doesn’t seem to be much about this. My DH is gaining weight in MC facility but his face features are changing dramatically. In particular, his eye sockets are deepening. His cheeks are also sinking in. He has…
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A letter to Memory Care Center managers
Dear Mr. Memory care manager, I have been working hard these last 50 years and always setting money aside for retirement. Now I need that money to pay for memory care for my DH. Memory care is my vacation, my world tour and my retirement all rolled into one. Today I arrived at my Dh's "care suite" only to find that yes you…
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Newbie here trying to navigate this
Hello, Not formally diagnosed yet, but my pTau-217 LabCorp test showed a .37 result. I was already diagnosed with MCI last March. My pTau test last year resulted in a .18 which is right at the cutoff, thus the retest. So somehow my levels doubled in a year. This shocked my doctor who seemed to poo poo my concerns up until…
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Processing DH's Dementia Journey and Recent Death
My DH graduated to heaven recently after seven years of moving through the different stages of Alzheimer's. After living with anticipatory grief, this final ending of our earthly relationship has been very hard on me. He was the center of my world. I spent at least a couple of hours every day for the past year with him at…
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Is it time?
I've been caring for my LO for 3 years. His progression is getting worse. I was not prepared for this, nor what is to come. Incontinence and it's a battle to get him changed. Showers are hard. Relieving himself outside of the bathroom. Wanders at night, gathering items, hiding items. He is not aggressive or combative at…
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Today’s Question?
How could DH with VD smell the bread baking but cannot smell the urine soaked clothes he is wearing? Just curious 🤷🏻♀️
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I failed as caregiver today
Yesterday I picked up a nasty cold and had a really rough night last night trying to sleep. This morning my wife (who has Alzheimer's, stage 5) had another emotional meltdown. Partially accusing me of of keeping her here at our house to kill her or some such nonsense. I am at low ebb, having little to no patience this…
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Sundowning in the Morning?
A question for the community, My DW has been waking up the past week or so with a continuation of the sundowning attitude and demeanor she was experiencing the prior evening. Is this a common experience others have experienced with Alzheimer's? Is this an indication that my DW condition is in further decline?
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I had a dream…
I just have to tell this to someone…I wouldn’t be able to tell my friends or family without bursting into tears. I lost my DH a couple of months ago. I have occasionally remembered seeing his face in my dreams but never could remember the dreams themselves - until today. I dreamt that we were somewhere sleeping. I woke up…
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How do you transition to "Depends" without a battle?
My DW is getting closer to needing "Depends" underwear or similar. I just can't imagine that she will accept wearing them. I could remove all of her regular underwear and put "Depends" in the drawer but I'm not sure that will work. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all!
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Loss of mobility
My DW is late stage Alzheimer's diagnosed in 2021 but Dr. thinks it started sooner. Her short term memory is almost gone, hallucinations, incontinent with, etc. Out of the blue she refuses to stand or walk. This makes looking after her very difficult. I am doing this on my own but do have a Care Giver come in Mon and Fri…
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Struggles on the farm
This is my first post. I have read & benefited a great deal from reading about your experiences. I've finally gotten up enough nerve to share... My DH was diagnosed with EOAD officially 2 years ago, but I realized it started much earlier. He is still social & most who aren't aware can't see it. There are times when he will…
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Looking for Feedback on Quetiapine
At my DW's last visit with her neurologist it was suggested that she begin low dose quetiapine twice a day. (split 25 mg tablet). OK. So I never start her on a new medication before I have had an opportunity to evaluate the potential risks/rewards of using the medication. Reading the manufacturers medication guide #1 of…
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Venting
My DH has AD & recently moved into a VA facility. This transition has been so hard - for both of us. He wants to come home, I know I can no longer take care of him, I dread going out to see him b/c my husband is no longer there, just a shell full of confusion. We started looking for a diagnosis when he was 58, only to be…
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Just Starting This Journey
This will be a short post. I read a few other posts and so far my situation is not as concerning as others. My husband REM has an early diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment most likely caused by Alzheimer's. He has issues with short term memory and repeatedly asking me the same questions over and over. He has developed a…
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I’m here for you
We met in 2010. Married in 2013. Just the two of us building a life on conversation, travel, curiosity, and the kind of partnership that doesn't need an explanation. The diagnoses of EOAD arrived in October 2023. The disease that started years before had progressed to the point where DW could no longer manage her own…
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Has anyone done self-pay for Kisunla?
Hello, we just prepaid for the first 4 treatments of Kisunla because it was denied by insurance bc my DH is "too young" (less than 60 years old). We were told it would be about $30K a year, but the estimate we got from the provider was $30K for the first 4 treatments. Anyway, has anyone else decided to self-pay and what…
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Parent with middle stage vascular dementia hiding things and paranoid
Hello My parent 87 y.o lives in an ALF. She hides and loses items in her room and believes people are stealing, stuff like her underwear and PJs. should I take some of her clothes out of the closet so she can find stuff easier? Also she starts calling me at 1 am even while taking trazadone 100 mg. Sometimes she is…
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Plan B
I thought I had more time. I prayed I had more time.😢 I have advocated for mom to get a name for what caused her dementia. Her neurologist believes hers is multi-focal, meaning hers have many causes, vascular being one. The PA asked mom last month if she wanted to be tested specifically for Alzheimers. To which she said,…
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Life expectancy
Hello. My husband received a diagnosis of early onset alzheimers. He has lots of questions, one which is about life expectancy. Reading between 4 years to 20. How long after diagnosis do people with early onset alzheiners need more care.
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Alzeimers and blindness
Hi. I am new to this community. My mom has the disease but to complicated it she has about10% vision and is obsessed with going to the bathroom. She is also very restless and doesn't sleep some nights. This makes caregiving difficult because she wants to use the bathroom every 5 minutes even though nothing happens at…
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Care from out of state
Hello. I am in Atlanta and my parents are in Cincinnati. My mother has Alzheimer's and my father is her primary caregiver. I am feeling more and more that my dad needs more help than he is asking for and maybe even a respite care partner to come to the house for my mom so he can have a break. My godmother currently comes…
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Vascular dementia medication
Hi, Please share any medication that you have found that helps with vascular dementia. My mom is on Donezapil but she is have negative side effects. Thanks so much!
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memory care visits are very difficult
My 89-year-old mom was moved to memory care about 3 weeks ago after a stay in a geriatric-psych ward for medical stabilization. We cared for her for the last 5 years with more round-the-clock care over the last year due to behaviors that made her unsafe. She was very unhappy with her situation then, didn’t really enjoy…
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Lucid and logical
My DH had two falls two days apart at his MC, where he has lived for about five weeks or so. The second fall, yesterday, occasioned a trip to the ER. Other than a knot on his head and some bruises and scrapes, he was allowed to go back to MC. Today when I visited him, he was more lucid than he'd been since he went in there…
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CA-Sacramento/Amador County Hospice
hi, Does anyone know of a Hospice company that will permit the person to stay on their medication for dementia? Thanks
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Spousal Imposter
Posting for my elderly stepfather but does anyone know how to best manage a DW with who does not recognize her husband or her home every single night? She is fine during the day but around 7:00 gets incredibly mean, accusatory, and fearful?
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Need tips to help mom taking medicine
Hello, my mom, who has alzheimer needs to take medicine daily. She is good with most medicine except the calcium supplements. She couldn't swallow it. I crushed the pill and mixed with food. She spilled it out, thinking they are rocks. I don't want she to feel someone put rocks in her meal since she has been lately…
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Magnesium Citrate
DH has always been rather constipated, I've been giving him a small dose of MiraLax daily and prune juice for months with fairly good success. ….but now he hasnt had a movement in 10 days. He doesn't eat muh anyway, but he does eat, I know something is there! The hospice nurse said to give him a bottle of magnesium…