Would you recognize the early signs of Alzheimer's?

[mysteriew]

I think I used to know the signs. But I forget.

 

[christee]

Oh boy...don't know how much I can type because this is such a sensitive topic for me but here goes-short and sweet!
My mother passed away almost 2 years ago (on Christmas Day 2009) and Pat Summitt's diagnosis a few weeks ago brought alot of tough memories back of how my mother's disease progressed over a matter of years. It was especially hard when I realized she hadn't said my name in weeks.
Of course I sometimes wonder if I will get this agonizing disease. My Mom's Doctor gave me a helpful bit of info: Having trouble remembering where you left your keys is not as indicative of impending Alzheimers as much as having to ask yourself "What are keys?".

kay:

 

[21merc7]

Ack! I know it runs in our family, and know a few friends with family members that have it. It can be extremely difficult for the family members, especially when a mother does not know it is her daughter she lives with. Does not recall having a daughter at all. Or gets violent. On the other hand there are plenty of moments that can make for a laugh or two to ease some of the pain, but never take it away. For those of you enduring it, I am sorry, I know it is incredibly difficult. Please remember your loved one still loves you no matter what is occurring at any given moment.

I read the above article but did not see any helpful info about prevention. Did I miss it? Does anyone have any links to any? I saw the posts about brain games and certain foods, can anyone link when they find the time? If so, thank you very much!

 

[oh_gal]

We were told to give my grandson Omega 3 for his ADHD. The Doc said it will help his brain power. I understand it is also good for preventing dementia.

http://www.omega3-foods.info/benefits-of-omega-3-fatty-acids/boost-brain-power-with-omega-3.html

Flax oil, and ground flaxseed. One of the best sources of Omega 3's.

 

[TobyWong*]

Our business is adult foster care so yes I will recognize the signs.

I will say that of all our experience w/ brain damage, dementia & alzheimers, nothing is predictable.The quietest get loud and angry. The most modest will strip on my deck(as a 95 yr old sunday school teacher did in a matter of seconds, this past summer)
every day is a learning experience.

I will say that Please if you have a loved one w/ alzheimers, please remove all expectations of what you think a parent should be doing for you. We have children (who are in their 60/70's age) that get mad if they are'nt acknowledged. Or leave cause they think their parent is mad or berates their parent for trying to eat a piece of paper towel.


oh yea we joke about all of it. It's the only way to cope. Oh the stories.....

 

[21merc7]

I had time to google "Alzheimer's Prevention" and there is a lot of info out there for those of us that are scared, so please disregard the previous request. Here is one link:

http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_prevention_slowing_down_treatment.htm

 

[DollyPardonMe]

This is going to sound cold and heartless and I don't know if anyone is or has been in the same situation..What if you hated your parent that is slipping away into dementia/Alzheimers BEFORE they started showing signs of the disease. How do you even pretend to care once they are already there?

 

[passionflower]

I noticed odd things about my grandma when she was about 60 and I was about 10.
She was a perfect housekeeper, baker and dressed to the 9's.
She began with not wanting to bake/cook (forgot the recipes in her head)
She started being child like (crying over not getting her favorite flavor popsycle)
Her clothes were messed up, spots on them.
A very kind sweet lady started to get mean with my grandpa.
She always wanted to go home to her mom (who was dead a lng time before I was born.
Couldn't understand where my aunt was and why she never called or visited (she was dead)
Then by the time I was grown, married and had children, grandma was in full blown altzheimers. We all had to babysit her for grandpa always.
I think my mom is starting the same.....age 84.she is on meds......no driving and she is getting so mean to me.......YIKES! am I next? I had 3 brain tumors to boot!

 

[Nova]

May I say it is not only the person that is showing the signs of Alzheimers that are in denial. Siblings look the other way too! My mother has been slowly going downhill since before my Dad died. She calls everyone by a different name and everyone laughs. She throws away food. Not funny because I replenish her fridge! I used to work in an assisted living facility and I know what to look for. It's not just the forgetfullness. Their body functions and organs eventually forget too! That's what they usually end up dying from. I know her bladder is going because My sister says..Oops, Mom didnt make it to the potty <laugh, laugh> They think it's just old age. They don't sit with her all weekend like I do and listen to her stories from 1945. Oh, and another thing. She was OK for years. No abuse. But now that she is regressing the abuse has started again. The emotional and verbal anyway. She doesn't have the strength to hit me like she used too! LOL

Sometimes denial is almost impossible to avoid. My mother told so many lies throughout her life that when she first showed signs of Alzheimer's, my sister and I looked at each other and said, "How can you tell?"

 

[Nova]

This is going to sound cold and heartless and I don't know if anyone is or has been in the same situation..What if you hated your parent that is slipping away into dementia/Alzheimers BEFORE they started showing signs of the disease. How do you even pretend to care once they are already there?

I don't think you are cold or heartless. I'm afraid it's just a fact of life that some parents aren't very lovable (see my previous post); developing Alzheimer's doesn't help matters.

 

[21merc7]

This is going to sound cold and heartless and I don't know if anyone is or has been in the same situation..What if you hated your parent that is slipping away into dementia/Alzheimers BEFORE they started showing signs of the disease. How do you even pretend to care once they are already there?

It is not cold and heartless, but you have seen my other posts about my feelings about my mother. It would be a relief if she did not know who I am or that I am her daughter, she may even be kind. :crazy:

Instead of pretending to care, just be who you are and do what you are doing. It may make it easier if you don't have that need for her to be "mom", all soft, warm and fuzzy, protective, loving, etc..., b/c she maybe she never was anyway. At least that is the way I look at it.

 

[Jenni979]

This is going to sound cold and heartless and I don't know if anyone is or has been in the same situation..What if you hated your parent that is slipping away into dementia/Alzheimers BEFORE they started showing signs of the disease. How do you even pretend to care once they are already there?

I don't think you are cold or heartless in the LEAST...

I don't like my father in the slightest... He is a jerk & always has been. I put-up with him because I adore my mother & that is the ONLY reason. I try to be sympathetic towards my Mother because she is the one who has to live with him & she takes care of him. I tell her that she needs to start coming to terms with the idea that, if he gets worse, she will need to put him in a home.

If I were the one who was left as his primary care; his butt would be in a home ASAP.

I know I sound like a hag, but people reap what they sow... If he had ever been a 1/2 way decent human being I'm sure I could be bothered to care what happens to him...

Now, that's not to say that I would leave him to starve or be abused. I would make sure it is a decent home & he was cared for but I will be darned if I go above-and-beyond for that man.

/end bitter rant

illowfight2:

 

[TobyWong*]

This is going to sound cold and heartless and I don't know if anyone is or has been in the same situation..What if you hated your parent that is slipping away into dementia/Alzheimers BEFORE they started showing signs of the disease. How do you even pretend to care once they are already there?

I feel bad for you that you are torn. Do what YOU need to make it ok w/ you.
Remove yourself from the situation as much as possible. IMO once someone gets into their disease theres no turning back( not trying to freak anyone out. we are all on borrowed time imo). In most situations it's a blessing in disguise for what ever reason.

We've had a family that split visit time w/ their mother. One of her kids did not get along w/ her so for his visit time he paid different grandkids to sit and even a sitting agency so he would not have to. Can i tell you she never asked for him, never even realized any of them were hers.

We also had a nasty 95 yr old pedophile for awhile(of course we did not have a clue when admitted). It was heart breaking to watch his family try and pretend they cared for him. He would still grab at the females! I told them not to visit. You want to know what this man's karma is?? He has no dementia! All 5 of his children passed before him. He knows no one will visit him and his body has given out. He sits and cries for himself. (thank goodness no longer in my home)

You are so not alone.

 

[passionflower]

My mother who has been trouble for years (I think she has some dementia)
Doctors call it early memory loss..........nope not that,
She has decided to HATE my husband.
Long story short, I am her only child.
My hubby has NHL cancer and really needs me.
I do everything for her and told her I could not, do her housework, washing and hair.
She has money to hire this done.
She hasn't called me for a week.
Putting on a gult trip.
Hates my hubby because he needs me now.
We have surgeons to see, specialists, cancer treatment and I am running ragged.
I also have health problems.
Well she is making my life a living hello...............
My children won't call or go over unless they really have to because she is such a witch to everyone.
Anyone have this happen?
Is it dementia, altheimers or just jealous?
My grandma had altheimers (her mom) but she was child like and not mean and spiteful.
I'm even afraid to call, because she puts this gult trip or mean things.
She ALWAYS has something worse than anyone else, meanwhile she is in 'perfect' health for a person 85.

 

[LinasK]

Absolutely! I am positive my grandmother had Alzheimer's disease. She would do bizarre things like mail blank checks to stockbrokers, drive somewhere- leave her car and take the bus home, she'd ask you the same question 5 times in 5 minutes...
Because of those things I did my graduate project on Alzheimer's.

 

[ohiogirl]

Here we go.
My father has Parkinsons and dementia and paranoia. And we are lost in this disease. He has recently been hospitalized and then developed pneumonia. We are between a rock and a hard place with his treatment. Do you try to aleviate his Parkinson's or his dementia? The medications are opposing each other. He believes everyone is trying to kill him. That is the dementia talking. If we go with that, his Parkinson's meds go by the wayside and he can't move or swallow. This is heart breaking. The doctors want the family to make decisions we are not medically equipped to make. I HATE THIS DISEASE!

 

[TobyWong*]

Here we go.
My father has Parkinsons and dementia and paranoia. And we are lost in this disease. He has recently been hospitalized and then developed pneumonia. We are between a rock and a hard place with his treatment. Do you try to aleviate his Parkinson's or his dementia? The medications are opposing each other. He believes everyone is trying to kill him. That is the dementia talking. If we go with that, his Parkinson's meds go by the wayside and he can't move or swallow. This is heart breaking. The doctors want the family to make decisions we are not medically equipped to make. I HATE THIS DISEASE!

Hi ohiogirl. From my experience, caring for the elderly w/ dementia & alziehmers, we find that the meds to eleviate the effects of dementia, which are supposed to help recover some memory,have been the worst problem. Imo there is no going back as far as remebring your life or.to remember to take meds, they will need assistence with that from then on. Again, my Experience has shown those memory meds make the person more depressed because they know somethings swirling around up in their head but can't put it into words. Or the people just cry & ache for life & love ones that have passed on. I do think the person needs to be given meds that assist w/ daily functioning such as swallowing. We also crush (if poss.)any meds to hide in foo so we don't have issues/questions like poisoning them.
I know its hard but you kinda have to let the effected person live in their own head. We playalong w/ everyones memories. My husband is many husbands, my sons are nephews & grandchildren. You just nod & direct the attention. Most people just revert to 2 yr old children with their need for attention. Its just harder for us to see how simple we become in our advanced age. Imo. I hope you guys can find a middle ground.

 

[ohiogirl]

thanks toby. I appreciate your response. We are a very large family and it is taking everyone different amounts of time to come to terms with this illness. Tough times ahead. Thanks again.

 

[Nova]

Tobywong, you are a saint among a family of saints!

ohiogirl, I am so very sorry. We are lucky that my mother has a state pension that pays for assisted living. I don't know what I'd do if she came to live with me.

 

[PMLsmom]

On a lighter note, I just went into my bedroom to refill my wine glass, realized it and laughed, and proceeded into my pantry, lol, not there either...wine is in the fridge across from the pantry. Alzheimer's, or maybe just the wine???