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How to help mom when dad has the disease
My mom and dad are living in a memory care facility. My dad has Alzheimers and my mom does not. My dad is in the later stages of the disease and has recently begun calling my mom his ex-wife AND has been seen holding hands with other female residents. My mom has been sobbing uncontrollably. She's feeling guilty when she…
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Interview a doctor?
Hello, Nice to meet you all- I'm looking to pick a new primary or geriatric spanish speaking doc for my Mom (75) with early alzheimers when open enrollment happens for Medicare. But, I wish there was a way to interview them first before making them her doctor. Is that a thing? Is it weird to do that? Do people do that?…
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Here's a new one I wasn't ready for
Dad was diagnosed with VD and onsight AZ almost 4 years ago. He has been in AL for the past 6 months awaiting "home renovations" and plans to move into the home when finished (depending on the day and time of course as it changes daily for him). He's doing really well and 99% of the time he absolutely loves it and the…
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Advice for getting help for cousin
My cousin, with no immediate family, has been showing signs of dementia for over a year. I live in another state and cannot travel due to husband's health issue. I've talked to her friends and asked for their help,but no one wants to be the one to tell my cousin, or take her to doctor. Is there a good way for me to tell…
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CCRC forcing LO move from independent to MC
My LO with VD lives in a CCRC in an independent home with 24 hour care. On waitlist for MC. My sister and I took her for “lunch” when opening came up. We decided not to place her in MC and continue with 24 hr care. CCRC has called us in for meeting saying they are concerned with LO’s safety. CCRC says she has to move to MC…
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Adjustable bed suggestions (attached control)
Hi, I'm trying to find an adjustable bed for my mom, who lives with Alzheimer's. They all seem to have remote controls, and she really needs something that has only a few buttons and is hardwired (attached) to the bed. Otherwise, the remote will quickly go missing. Has anyone found a bed that's working well for them?
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Ready to throw the towel in
Brief update: Dad was diagnosed 3+ years ago with VD and onset Alz. He has now been in ASL for 6 months and discussions are being made for the move toward MC. I'm his POA. I've posted about his 2 sisters resisting any directives made by me and they have been sent a cease and desist letter 3 months ago but, still manage to…
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Repercussions from shunt surgery.
My husband had a shunt put in for NPH (Normal pressure hydrocephalus) in July. Before that he had early Alzheimer’s dementia. After surgery, its a lot worse. We had to put door handle locks on the doors, shower & bathroom bars in the bathroom. He doesn’t remember anything. He makes things up, hallucinates. He’s losing his…
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Help with restless, sleepless nights
At bedtime, my wife will sleep for about an hour then will become restless and repeatedly get up and down, then roam around the bedroom and upstairs all night like a zombie. She has moderate/late stage Alzheimers and takes risperidone (Risperdal) but doc is weaning her off and will replace with Geodon soon. She also takes…
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Equipment for dementia or ALZ patients
Dad is a fall risk due to frequent UTI issues. Having ALZ adds to the difficulty. We have part-time caregivers and my sister and I are there often but there are times he is alone and is generally ok. When he suddenly get a UTI he falls and is weak. We have went through a few devices with fall detection to no avail:…
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Help with moving unwilling mom to senior living
Hi, I'm new here. My 82 yo mom has mid stage alz, and is currently living with my dad in the home they've been in for 45 years. My dad 83 yo is very ready to move to a senior living community and is finally reaching the top of the wait list for his desired community that has assisted living and memory care available when…
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Moving Mom
Hello all. We are in the process of moving my mom in with my niece; however she doesn't want to go because she can't take her 2 cats and 3 dogs with her. The critters will be staying with my dad and will be cared for, but my mom has to move (and I would rather not go into the backstory of why she can't stay with my dad)…
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Waiting for the trainwreck: What do you do when your LO refuses to trust family or doctors
I will try to keep this shortish. My younger cousin, 56, probably has early onset Alzheimer's and it's being exacerbated by self-medicating. She had an MRI in January and a PET scan in April that showed elevated amyloid in three of four lobes and borderline in the fourth. Since May she has been manic, paranoid, delusional,…
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I See and Feel her slipping away
My DW is living with undiagnosed ALZ. DW of our 36-year marriage had a cerebral hemorrhage about 1 year ago and I have seen her gradually slip away mentally at times. She was also left visually impaired by the operation which adds another challenge to overcome. She can see some things but not well enough to read. I…
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Feeds cat 4-8 times a day
My mother has one cat. Sometimes she thinks there are more that pop by. But when prompted, she catches herself and realizes there is only one cat. Regardless of the number of cats that she perceives, she overfeed them. She sets out 4-8 bowls filled with wet food per day. This creates a bad situation as most of it rots, or…
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New Here & Just Trying To Keep Up
I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed and alone, and I’m so thankful to have found this group. I’m 29 and live in Georgia. My mom is 65, lives alone in Florida, and was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. My parents are divorced, and my sister isn’t able to help due to her own challenges. My mom’s brother offered support…
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Personality Disorders + Alzheimer’s Disease
Hi, I’m new to this message board and this is my first post. It’s going to be a long one. I’m feeling a bit desperate and I need some advice. My Mom is 78 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year ago. Although, I think she’s probably been sick for longer and her condition was masked by her existing mental health issues.…
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New here, aging parent with vascular dementia and mom not capable of caregiving, where do I start?
Hi! I have never been on here before. My dad was diagnosed with vascular dementia years ago after insisting my mom bring him in. I have a fractured relationship with my mom and she is his primary caregiver. Lately my dad seems to be declining. He is disoriented at night, getting up and spilling things, having toileting…
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Memantine experiences
I'm a caregiver for my dad, who has been on Donepezil for a while now for his Alzheimer's. He is doing well for now, but it is only a matter of time before the doctor prescribes him Memantine, too, if I understood correctly. I've seen side effects, dizziness, headaches, confusion, etc. But I'm wondering, what are some…
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So many questions...
Hello. My husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's on August 6. The Neurologist didn't mention a stage but our GP said it's moderate to severe. His has trouble speaking, he can't find words. His short term memory is severely impacted. Normally an optimist, he's become severely depressed. He's now on Namenda, Rexulti &…
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GLP-1's in Demetia Patients
Hello Everyone, Itws been quite a while since I"ve posted and been around. I have some things I'd like some advice on from our community. My Dad started this journey about 2 years ago and it has only become more complex and complicated. He has a myriad of health issues so I wont get into all of them, but with his Demetia…
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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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I’m burned out and don’t know what to do
my DH has undiagnosed dementia and steadfastly refuses to see his doctor. This has been going on for more than three years. DH is 75 years old and is healthy except for his memory problems. My son comes over three nights a week to support me but he works full time so I’m pretty much on my own. I can’t hire a caregiver…
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Alzheimer’s and stomach issues
Hello all, My mother continues to battle constipation, nausea, and gas on and off. Her appetite has definitely decreased, although she was never a big eater to begin with. We continue to encourage fluids and she eats mostly high fiber foods, but she is still having these issues more than not. I also give her Metamucil…
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Caregiving for the Caregiver
My MIL has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It has been slow in its progression (15 years since initial diagnosis). My DH’s step-father is the primary caregiver and has done a fantastic job. However, my MIL is now firmly in Stage 4. We want to support DH’s step-father as best we can…but we don’t want to be pushy or make…
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How to motivate your AD spouse to do things that will help her.
My AD spouse isn’t self-motivated. I have made dot papers for her to complete with her name, address, phone number… I am continually helping her navigate her phone and texting… I am helping everyday to work the tv remote… she was a music director so I have enlarged music for her to sing with(words only)… I write our day’s…
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Overwhelmed caregiver.
My mom just got diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia 6month ago. Sometimes she will be her normal self then she someone I don’t recognize. Someday I can get her to take her medication with no problem then another day she resist. I’m having hard time keeping the house clean because she leaves things everywhere and brings…
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LO Has Been Diagnosed 15 years
Has anyone dealt with slow progression AD? My MIL was initially diagnosed in 2010. She was in early stage AD. 15 years later, she is at Stage 4. Her husband has been a faithful caregiver. No one is complaining. We have had the opportunity to share many more holidays and special events than we ever thought we would. Has…
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New Member, First Post - Power of Attorney
I have three siblings and one lives fifteen minutes away from my mom. I live in another state but manage all her finances and anything else I can to take the load off our sibling who lives locally. When I agreed to be my mom's power of attorney, I naively thought it would only come into play for her finances. However, this…