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...
I have noticed recently that Rollie has a hard time doing what he needs his body to do... I can only describe it this way:
When it is time for him to get in bed at night I pull the covers back and tell him to lay down, he will look confused so I tell him to sit down. He can do that, then I say, "now lay down" but he can't grasp it, I lift his legs and they are rigid and stiff and try to swing them around on to the bed. Then I try to gently push down on his shoulders to get him lay his upper body down. This can be tricky because if I press just a little too hard he thinks "I'm pushing him around" so I have to softly say, "lay down here" and gently press him into a laying position.
Another thing is he can't judge where the seat of a chair or couch is, if I don't help him, he can misjudge it and fall to the floor.
Then last night he wanted salt in his soup so he poured salt all around the bowl but none in the bowl.
He is still using the toilet but we have to keep an eagle eye on him. We have learned to tell when he has the urge so we ask constantly and take him then we bring him to the toilet. We now have to show him how to sit on the toilet, make sure he doesn't slide off, Again, like he can't judge exactly where it is in relation to where his butt is.
I'm guessing this is a deterioration of his depth perception but the stiff legs concern me because it says in the Alz site that rigidity is one of the signs of end stage, is this the kind of rigidity they are talking about?
http://www.alzinfo.org/clinical-stages-of-alzheimers
When it is time for him to get in bed at night I pull the covers back and tell him to lay down, he will look confused so I tell him to sit down. He can do that, then I say, "now lay down" but he can't grasp it, I lift his legs and they are rigid and stiff and try to swing them around on to the bed. Then I try to gently push down on his shoulders to get him lay his upper body down. This can be tricky because if I press just a little too hard he thinks "I'm pushing him around" so I have to softly say, "lay down here" and gently press him into a laying position.
Another thing is he can't judge where the seat of a chair or couch is, if I don't help him, he can misjudge it and fall to the floor.
Then last night he wanted salt in his soup so he poured salt all around the bowl but none in the bowl.
He is still using the toilet but we have to keep an eagle eye on him. We have learned to tell when he has the urge so we ask constantly and take him then we bring him to the toilet. We now have to show him how to sit on the toilet, make sure he doesn't slide off, Again, like he can't judge exactly where it is in relation to where his butt is.
I'm guessing this is a deterioration of his depth perception but the stiff legs concern me because it says in the Alz site that rigidity is one of the signs of end stage, is this the kind of rigidity they are talking about?
http://www.alzinfo.org/clinical-stages-of-alzheimers
I don't know if this is what they are referring to on the rigidiy. I have wondered the same thing I have an appointment with Ken's doctor and that is one of my questions.
Ken holds his right arm close to his body and his left hand is staring to stay in a part fist.
Ken has has difficulty sitting for several months, he just can't judge where it is. I am having problems now because he will try and sit anywhere. I'm so affraid he is gong to end up breaking something.
I also have to put Ken in bed, he will sit on the edge but doesn't understand how to get his legs up on the bed. I put my arm under his neck tell him I am going to lay him down, count to 3 and swing him in.
I have taken him to the toilet for some time. He also does not understand how to sit on it. Once he is on he is ok. I back him in and it takes several times telling him to sit down befoe he will.
Part of this stage is loosing the psychomotor skills, like walking.
Ken, is in the stage but from what I understand there are also several levels within this last stage.
From what I've read, their spatial relations really go downhill. They can't judge distances of something, and how large and small things are, etc. That's when you begin to see what you are seeing. The rigidity.....At some point, they lose the ability to use their legs, and end up wheelchair bound. I do believe the book said this is during the last stage. He is probably beginning into that. I had a shock yesterday....I always thought my Dad was diagnosed in 2004, but my sister says it was 2003, so he is in his 8th year, and not yet into the final stage, symptom-wise. He wasreally good today.
Now I notice many probs w/ spatial relations and depth perception, need to watch be at hand all the time for chairs, toilet, stairs. Depth perception and spatial relations were particularly disturbed with the probs relating to the psych med d/c this summer.
So I guess the optometrist's way of describing it helps me understand...with brain damage goe visual and spatial changes.
One day she was walking and was going to sit down and she fell for no reason. Another day she was picking something off the floor and fell. Every day is different with this terrible disease.