Dementia Support Group
Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Particularly affected areas may be memory, attention, language and problem solving, although particularly in the later stages of the condition, affected persons may be disoriented in time, place and person (not knowing who they...
Hi, I'm new to this site. I take care of my husband full time (with our kids who are going to college and working and living with us still). He is a 60 yr old VN vet who had PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) first then in the past year I started noticing he was doing things that don't fall under the symptoms of PTSD so after a few visits and even emergency room visits he has been diagnosed with dementia, probably moderate to severe stages. The weirdest thing was this summer we driving home from our vacation in Canada and all of a sudden he looked at me and said, "Excuse me do you mind if I ask you your name?" I thought he was joking but as the conversation went on he didn't know where he was, where he had been, where he lived, how he came to be in a car with me. When he was diagnosed with the PTSD I looked and looked for a support group and was so glad when I found one. It helps SO much to talk with other people who do walk in your shoes. So since he has been diagnosed with the dementia (just 3 months ago) I have been looking for a support group to join. While I like support groups with living people in the same room I find an online support group is just as important because sometimes I can't wait until the next meeting, I need to talk, to vent right now, even late at night.
Vent often, it helps. I have a very special friend who is an angel and listens to my woes.
Lisa
I have a question and I would love any opinions. My mom, age 82, has mild vascular dementia and other health problems. She lives with me and my husband and I am her caregiver. She remembers it's time for her meds, her eye drops, her nasal spray, how long she's been sitting in "this chair." That she has or not had lunch etc. but she often says she doesn't know ME. She always knows who my husband is (by name.) If my sister-in-law
doesn't visit for 2 weeks, Mom always knows her. I am with her from daylight to dark every day and I do everything for her. We have a sitter that comes twice weekly for a few hours and Mom also knows who she is. It is just so frustrating for me to not be 100 percent sure that she really doesn't know who I am or if she just pretends so she doesn't have to show any appreciation for the bath, the breakfast, the transferring to the more comfortable chair and on and on. Is it possible she just shuts me out and knows everthing else or could she be "pulling my chain?"
P.S. I know for certain that she can pretend to be sick, because for the first year she was here she would be "Bad Off" every Sunday and I would have to practically carry her to the bath room and bring her food on a tray to her room. Then come Monday morning she would be fine! I told her one Sunday when she started acting sick that I thought she had "Sunday-itis" because she wasn't able to go to church etc., she stopped being sick on Sunday. That's when I began to get suspicious. I don't like the doubting. I can handle it all as long as I know it's on the up and up. Is this common behavior for people with dementia? Maybe I just needed to vent too? Thanks, Joy