Alzheimers thread

[punch*drunk]

Couldnt find the old one so I thought I'd start another.

How is everyone going, havent seen Gill around for a while, I wonder how she's getting on.

My dad is quickly getting worse to the point where I will probably need to move him into high care now. We are also having low blood pressure and high blood sugar problems. Waiting on some tests to see what thats all about.

He is now at the point where by the time he takes his seatbelt off, he starts to put it back on again. If I turn a corner in the corridor before him, he forgets where I've gone and what he was doing. He is also starting to forget how to eat and becoming a little bit difficult with the staff.

😞

[azureline**]

This is my first experience with it although Dad has vascular dementia. He sometimes is aware that he forgets things and people and it depresses him.

Most days he knows me and his son, he knows every family member who phones him and usually you wouldn't know he has anything wrong, while he is having a 5 minute conversation with his callers. His voice is exactly what it used to be during the calls.

He has trouble keeping track of his great grandchildren  and their names but he knows they belong to him.

There are some days I know he doesn't know me/who I am but he is good at pretending he does, he doesn't call me by my name on those days.

Every evening at 6.30, he visits another resident who is bedridden and has a lung disorder, no dementia. He takes a blanket, tucks it around her, calls the nurse to and asks her to make them both a cuppa and sits with her for an hour. Sometimes they chat, sometimes he doesn't.

I suspect he is remembering his wife and how she was during the last year of her life.

[azureline**]

This was in my email this morning

http://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/news/ten-early-signs-of-dementia

[2106greencat]

Oh az, I feel for you.

I can't imagine how hard it would be, just try to remember the life you had, coz that is no doubt the life they remember.

I lost both parents 12 years ago, no chance to say goodbye, but they knew they were loved, as did I.

[cherry*135]

It is very sad when people suffering early onset of dementia (before 65?) and dementia need to move into retirement homes in their 50's, 60's and even early 70's.

My Mum and one of my Aunts suffered from dementia in their 90's... So most of their long lives they lived in their own homes, except for the last 4 years of their life in a retirement home.

Punch, az - your Dad & FIL are fortunate to have you taking care of their best interests, visiting them and doing things for them.

[punch*drunk]

Anyone see this recent study? I wonder if there's anything to it, rare blood types linked to memory loss later in life.

http://www.9news.com.au/health/2014/09/12/04/27/blood-type-linked-to-memory-loss-in-later-life

I'm pretty sure my dad is AB, I know my sister is.

I also read recently something about a link between lack of vitamin D and dementia. At least there are lots of studies happening that may help future generations. It seems like people are getting struck down younger and younger.

[azureline**]

Interesting, will find out later what dad's is. He has suddenly become aware of losing his memory and is distressed.

[punch*drunk]

Oh thats sad az, I hope that doesnt last long. I've been grateul that dads always been pretty much unaware of his memory loss. He often says "I forget" if I ask a question, but it doesnt seem to worry him at all.

[azureline**]

Thanks, he doesn't usually seem bothered by it, his meds keep him on a fairly even keel but now and again, he is more like his old self and appears to know something is not right.

This morning he asked the nurse to phone me and get me to come early, something he has not done for about 8 months, not sure if I am sad or happy?

[punch*drunk]

Bid day today. Have just come back from seeing dad and an assessment by a geriatrician.

As I suspected his medications are all completely wrong, he is going to take him off the antidepressants, sleeping tablets and pain killers and start from scratch. They are going to try a parkinsons medication because he is suffering some stiffness which is causing aches and pains in his neck and shoulders. Side effect of that is....more confusion 😕 I'm hoping for minimal side effects and that they are possibly countered by the changes in the other meds. I feel with all the anti d's, sleepers & pain killers that he is constantly sedated and in a worse state of fog than he needs to be.

So all that was really enouraging, not so encouraging is the need to move him to high care which we will probably have to do in the next couple of months, he also wants me to change him to DNR 😞 his cognition has dropped from scoring 18/30 last year to only 6/30 now. He thinks dads operation early this year would have contributed to that, he says if he has some kind of event and they resuscitate him it will be an even more massive setback.

I just have to keep reminding myself that dad asked me to be his POA because he knew I would do the best for him and follow his wishes. Doesnt make it any easier and I still left without walking into the office and making the change, it may take me a few weeks to get up the courage.

Feeling even more down about the whole thing now that I have put it into words 😞

[freddie*rooster]

It's such a difficult time for you punchy, so hard to see our darling parents struggling. You are so right, your Dad knew you would take care of things for him and treat him with the respect he deserves at this terrible time. Try not to dwell on the decisions you must make, be guided by your love for your Dad.

My Mum will be 90ty on Christmas eve, she's still amazing in the mind but her mobility is poor.