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Medication
My LO has declined according to her recent memory test she had a few months ago. Her neurologist prescribed a medication called Memantine. The first week she was doing fine, but the second week there has been some changes. She tells me she is drowsy, dizzy and feels funny. I noticed her mood has changed since taking this…
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AD and Cataracts - Ophthalmologists Good With Alzheimers?
My LO has cataracts. She is expressing that she wants to have them removed but is having difficulty tolerating the testing required to measure lens depth. The machines attempted (e.g., IOL Master) were unable to obtain the needed readings. Without throwing any information our way, the assistants then took my LO into a room…
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Feeling Such Incredible Heartache and Pain
Well, my mom has been in the hospital for three days now. Each day, she gets more delusional and starts hallucinating. I feel so so so guilty. I feel like I made it all worse, and could I have just tried harder to be patient and less selfish about my time? But no, I couldn't, and I know that. I think I've found a facility…
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Performing a COVID-19 Nasal swab test for PWD
PWD was previously aware of what a nasal swab for an antigen test was for, and performed the nasal swab by oneself (I did the rest of the test) This week, I was asked what the test was for, and I explained; I handed the swab and how many times to turn in each nostril. PWD did that, and then tried to wipe the swab tip on a…
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Security Cameras
Can anyone recommend good indoor security/spy cameras to keep an eye on my mom with my phone? Something cheap on Amazon that does the job and will arrive quickly? Thank you!
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Asking for help( caring for a loved oned showing signs of dementia)
Hello everyone, Me & my mom would like some advice. We are currently caring for my grandma & she has been showing signs of dementia. We have been to multiple doctor appointments, just waiting to hear the results. Even though she hasn’t been diagnosed, we’re pretty sure it’s dementia being that in runs on her side of her…
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Humor: Telling Alexa on me!
In the #sometimesyougottalaugh... My sweet Jack is arguing with Alexa 🤣😂😁 There was a short story on Audible with Judd Hirsh (from Taxi) playing a retired guy who's wife died. She was named Alexa, so when his daughter bought him the Alexa speaker, he thought she named it Alexa. Anyway, it's a sweet story where he struggled…
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How to approach MC
Hello all. Like so many of you, I have had to make the difficult decision to place my DH in MC. I have secured an “apartment “ and will plan to move him at the end of the month. He still puts on a good show, but had severe loss of words which makes him hard to converse with. He has difficulty choosing clothes and would not…
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TAKING MAEDICATIONS
I do not know if anyone has been following my story. Up until now I have been able to do my own meds with my wife just checking on me once in a while just to make sure I am doing it right. Well today I could not remember which meds I take in the a.m. or the p.m. This scared the s—t out of me. I guess this proves that my…
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Where do I stand in the variants of Alz?
I am a newbie here, so forgive me for any mistakes I make… And forgive me if I talk too much. I don't remember how long ago it was that I got routed to a doctor who was, I think, fairly good with Alz patients. And, now, less than a year with me and him, I know what is going on - somewhat. My stats for measuring my problems…
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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
I’ve recently discovered that some patients with dementia may be treated with ECT in the hopes that it will improve symptoms of depression. Does anyone have experience with this that you can share? Here’s just one article I found about it
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NY Times: How Hearing and Vision Loss Increase the Risk of Dementia
Gifted article for 30 days https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/well/mind/hearing-vision-dementia-risk.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Bk4.olZa.vDIdaqXHJqa1&smid=url-share
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Overwhelmed with guilt & grief
It was a long road but my father in law has been living in a memory care facility close to us for about 6 weeks. Even though I know that my husband and I would be unable to care for him safely in our home because he would mostly be alone, I still feel so guilty for this major decision. When family and friends ask about my…
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ANOSOGNOSIA, MCI diagnosis in Jan 2024, probably mixed vascular dementia
Hi everyone. I am new here and this is my first post. I have been working to get a specific diagnosis but at this point don't really care. I know what I see, live and deal with and it is definitely mixed dementia probably vascular in nature (MRI showed strokes) with Anosognosia (God please help me with this one). I also…
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GPS watch
Hello…..My father is very strong and active and still wants to walk around the block. I am looking to purchase a watch with GPS for him to wear. He gets disoriented and I dont want him to get lost and he refuses to walk with the home health worker. I have researched and found some options but cant find one that has all I…
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I'm afraid... Update on my DH Lonny - sorry long post
UPDATE 8/11/24: Lonny is now unable to swallow although he passed a swallow test a few days ago. His mouth is open all the time. Social Services will call me tomorrow morning to set up Hospice. 😢Pray his passing is peaceful and he doesn’t suffer. 🙏Background: My DH was stage 5-early 6 last December when I was diagnosed…
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Early Anger
As I've mentioned before, MRI shows my DW has Microvascular Ischemic Disease. What I'm experiencing from her at this point, besides the forgetfulness & minor confusion is a hair trigger anger, usually directed at me. Is this normal? I've tried to get her to go to talk to someone but refuses. She had a very cold childhood,…
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Heartbroken
I’m sitting here in the early morning barely able to breathe with grief. Tomorrow I’m taking my precious DH to his new home at a beautiful memory care facility. I just pray he’ll have peace and contentment in his new home. If any of you are prayer warriors please just pray that my sweet Tommy is safe and happy. He’s not…
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Sainthood
Looks like my application cannot be filed just yet, because I'm about to whine and complain like crazy. Ha! The way I interact with my DW is so dramatically different than 4 years ago. I take the blame for everything, I am patient to the point of ridiculousness. I sit and watch tv shows without moving for hours on end when…
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To the ER or not?
My DW has an abscess just outside of her private part, I know I can just say it but the contract doctor says that if antibiotics don't work in a couple of days she needs to go to the ER. God I hope not. Waiting hours in the ER with an advanced Alzheimer's wife in full incontinence and hysterics is not something I want to…
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Pros and cons of living with parent
My mom is 83 and has dementia and Alzheimer’s. She had a fall in late November of 2023. I have been living with her since then. i am the last of her immediate family and live roughly 60 miles away. My husband and daughter are still there. I don’t get to see them very often. Right now I am her sole financial/household/yard…
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Have I made a mistake?
I'm hoping this will make sense and that someone can help me with my thought process. MY DH, 76, was diagnosed with dementia 13 years ago. It progressed slowly until his back surgery when he was under general anesthesia for 5 hours about 5 yrs ago after which he was never the same - hallucinations, paranoia and nonexistent…
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Mom is 275 miles away
Hi everyone, I am the eldest daughter of four, I share POA and Advanced Healthcare with my brother, the youngest, who lives about an hour and a half from mom. Two sisters in between, one is in FL, lives within an hour but had a brain tumor and is dealing with her own health issues. I live about 275 miles, about a 7 hr…
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Caretaking the Caregiver
DH and I live about 50 miles from his mother who has mid-stage Alzheimer’s. She still recognizes all of us, but STM is rapidly failing. Her husband (DH’s step-father) has done a wonderful job taking care of her. Up until the past two weeks, DH’s nephew was living in the house, so there was someone to give some…
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Strange eating habits
My husband has got to where if he starts snacking on something he will eat until it is all gone. For instance, I bought about 2 lbs of grapes this morning. Husband ate all of them within 2 hours. And I noticed other day, we had a 3 lb bag tangerines. He ate half of them in one day. I finally hid them from him. Is this just…
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Venting/advice if possible
My mom is having her first big episode since getting sent home from the long-term care facility she was placed in on 7/25. They only kept her for 4 days, stating that she was able to make her own decisions (despite her being deemed incapable to do so 15 days earlier). So far, last night she was trying to leave/wander,…
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Repetition is "expressing concern, ask for help or coping"
An Alz.org page states "People with dementia who ask questions repeatedly may be trying to express a specific concern, ask for help, or cope with frustration, anxiety or insecurity" Does that apply to your PWD? I'm not sure what "help" one is asking for, unless it is a question about something specific, like a CD account…
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Not sure I did the right thing
My mom was having an awful delusional episode today. No sense of time or place. She didn't know the month or year, let alone the day or season. At one point, she said, "I'm not me anymore, and you're not you" to me. She was waiting for her mom to come home (dead for more than 60 years), my dad to come home (dead for 16),…
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Won't bathe
My dad has been receiving home hospice for 2 months now. So far he has been cooperative with the CNA bathing him 3x/WK. But today he outright refused being bathed and said he can do it himself. He is wheelchair bound and a fall risk. My mom can't do it herself. The nurse will come back tomorrow and see if he calmed down.…
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How would I know? Or would I know
Hi everyone, So recently I have moved my LO in with me. He still showers and uses the bathroom by himself. So how would I know if the proper things are being done while showering and using the bathroom? I think it would be obvious but not sure. Any suggestions? Thank you,