Alzheimer's Disease Support Group
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration with declining activities of daily living and neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes. An early symptom is memory loss (amnesia), usually manifesting as minor forgetfulness that becomes pronounced with illness progression, with relative...
We saw my husband's doctor today, the one he has been seeing since 2000 and who knows him very well. After he spoke with him for about half an hour he spoke to me alone and he said that he is progressing quickly in his illness. Progress in this case is not good it means he is deteriorating quickly. He said that the drugs (Aricept and Namenda) we have been giving him have reached their effectiveness and his brain is no longer receptive to them. I can continue to give them to him if I want, it won't harm him. I don't know yet if I will- probably. There are 3 main parts that they judge, Executive Functioning, A? Functioning (I can't remember how it is pronounced) and another A?(like aphasia) Functioning. Executive is the ability to do things like balance a check book. The other one is the ability to learn new things and the last one is remote memory. We already knew that the first 2 have been affected but now the last one is being affected. For example he could not tell the doctor what year he was born or what high school he went to. Remote memory is long term memory and now his long term memory is not functioning. Also his frequent inability to complete a sentence and his using the wrong words are signs of this. He is starting to forget familiar people.
I have always had a couple rough days (personally) after a big
change or bad news from the Dr. Then I adjust.
I am interested in what you decide about the meds. I am still giving them to my husband, altho, I know they are not helping. But I have been told they go down faster if you stop them. Big problem - isn't it?
I wish I could have 10 minutes with him OK to talk about a few things. He only has half a dozen words now.
Even though you know these things - you still feel a little
shell-shocked hearing them from the Dr.
Prayers and Blessings -
husband's meds or healthcare ?
We do get my husb's meds and partial health care through them.
I am thankful for the help with the expensive meds and now they
are providing Depends, as well.
Greatly appreciated on retirement income !
Georgia- the impression I got was that he might crash fast if we just take him off them so I think I will keep him on it for now.
"once he's begun to lose all sense of who he is and who the rest of us are I think letting him crash and get it over with would be less painful all around then trying to hold on to the shell of who he had been. " I agree with you and I hope I will know when that is. Deep inside I feel like I will know when the time is right.
Today was the first time I actually broke down in front of his doctor. He said he felt really sorry for me and he wished there was more they could do.
My husband didn't crash when we stopped the drugs. Namenda didn't help and the Aricept brought back all the old bad behavior that we had all ready gone through. I do have to say though that he didn't take either one as long as some of your loved ones.
The AFH where I have been trying to place my husband told me they wanted him to come for daycare for a while to get used to being there and getting to know the other people. I didn't think it would work, but I agreed to try it. He can't remember anything else, why would he remember them. After a month of this they told me today they have filled that space and I can't bring him back anymore. No warning, no nothing; just goodbye!! Their excuse was he wasn't appropriate for their home because he didn't sleep all night. They knew that at the start; so I guess the daycare was just a way to make some money while they waited for an "appropriate candidate". Don't we have enough grief without someone trying to scam us!
I'm so sorry you have to start over finding a place for your husband.
I am being the proverbial ostrich - I know I need to do some checking on places, but am really dragging my feet. I am acting like that chick
in Gone With the Wind... "I'll think about it tomorrow" :-)
Financially, I need to keep him at home as long as I possibly can.
The local NH with Alzheimer's units are very costly.
Sadly that is true, way back when I was still in nursing I did take care of several AD/dementia patients and they do require tremendous amounts of time and energy.
Since I know what kind of care he would likely get in a facility we are doing everything we can to make sure my hubby does not end up in one, biggest factor there will be my health and ability to deal wiht him but we have several friends who are CNA's who will help if it comes to my needing them and one who said she will see to it he stays home if she has to move in wiht us to care for him. She took care of her dad while he was dying of cancer after she got totaly sick of the care he was getting at the facility she worked at.
I do know if/when it comes to the point where he needs totaly care including lifting I will not be able to do it alone, he's to big and I'm getting to old. There are times when life truely does suck.