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...
1. Were your loved ones aware of the mental decline sneaking up on them?
2. How quickly can severe stress worsen the decline and then does it improve about back to normal but never fully back?
3. Can it just be "severe stress' and not actual dementia? And how do I tell the difference?
4. How do you get a spouse to go to a doc when they refuse?
I am overwhelmed and I know you all are in the same boat with me or have been. Thank you.
Our adult kids say nothing is wrong with either me or their dad but stress. Well I do have parkinson's and I believe he does too but can't get him to a doc. The pd is worse "mentally" for me than the other symptoms altho I have them too/so does he. He is beginning to forget to take his heart medicines. What/who he and I were are becoming memories.
Thank you all.
Sherma
2. How quickly can severe stress worsen the decline and then does it improve about back to normal but never fully back?
3. Can it just be "severe stress' and not actual dementia? And how do I tell the difference?
4. How do you get a spouse to go to a doc when they refuse?
I am overwhelmed and I know you all are in the same boat with me or have been. Thank you.
Our adult kids say nothing is wrong with either me or their dad but stress. Well I do have parkinson's and I believe he does too but can't get him to a doc. The pd is worse "mentally" for me than the other symptoms altho I have them too/so does he. He is beginning to forget to take his heart medicines. What/who he and I were are becoming memories.
Thank you all.
Sherma
To answer you questions...well my dad went back and forth between knowing he had vascular dementia and denying that there was anything wrong with him. My mom spent endless days trying to convince him, succeeding, him being depressed and then him forgetting again. Mom now is in early stages and knows something is wrong but will go from saying so to denying any problem. I think a lot of the problem is fear that if you admit the problem you will be locked away.
Anything can advance the disease. Both mom and dad had infections that propelled them forward. Many people plod along at a level and then seem to drop off a cliff when something happens. There can be a slight improvement but never back to the pre-event level.
The best way to know what is going on is to see a neurologist who specializes in dementia. They can do a complete assessment (several hours) and then prescribe some meds that might help relieve anxiety or confusion. Help not cure.
Getting someone to do something is difficult. For my dad it worked best to just make the appointment and tell him when the car service was coming. He would argue and then claim he was driving. But in the end he would get in the car and chat with the driver.
If you kids are in denial you might want to consider hiring a case manager. It is expensive but it is a professional who accompanies you to doctors appointments and helps you figure out which docs to go to and how to proceed. Whats nice is they offer an independent view of your condition which can be very helpful.
In my mother's case, she has suffered from major depression and severe anxiety. For years she isolated (especially after my father passed in 2004), which only made her less functional. But even then, when she was institutionalized for her mental deterioration, dementia was not part of the picture.
Mom kept insisting that she was afraid she was developing dementia, and the Drs kept telling her that she didn't have it.
But clearly Mom could tell something was not "quite right."
Fast forward to 1 year ago. Her anxiety increased into a heightened agitation, her isolation bordered on paranoia (fear of being seen by the neighbors) and we discovered that she was not taking her meds properly.
From there, she developed some health problems that can contribute toward her confusion, including a severe aortic stenosis and a chronic anemic condition.
While mom has not been "Officially diagnosed" with dementia -- she exhibits behaviors and symptoms. At one point in her deterioration, she realized and exclaimed: "Oh my god! My worst nightmare is coming true!"
I don't know how much is related to her physical health conditions versus the stress of her mental illnesses. She's on a ton of medications for all of the above. And those meds have major side effects. And I believe that it's harder for older people to tolerate many of them.
I agree with Tigg about getting an exam to determine your medical history and current health status (including an assessment of the medications you are on -- you'd be surprised how many can cause dementia-like symptoms!)
Is there someone your husband would be willing to go with to see the Dr. A friend? A relative?
(((HUGS)))