Senile Dementia / Alzheimer

The long goodbye....at least that's what it's called and so far it's proving to be true. My dad is 75, and looking back all the signs were there but we either chose to ignore them or just put them down to old age. Initially the GP diagnosed my Dad with stress and depression and they had just gone through a troubled time with my brother, my parents were his carers for all his life until he went into supported living at the age of 40 (which is another story in itself). My parent have never really had a quality retirement, or life being full time carers come to think of it. I had my doubts re the diagnosis and it wasn't until I went with my ...

I work in a Care Home that specialises in caring for those with Dementia. It is a small home caring for 14 residents (I never use the term patient as I think it is too impersonal, it is their home after all) We mainly care for people with quite severe Dementia and care for them till the end. To say it is a horrible disease would be a complete and utter understatement, to see a resident enter the home very able bodied and watch them forget to do every single thing, even eating. I wouldn't say it was a 'rewarding' job but I do find a sense of satisfaction in helping these people make the most of their lives, instead of leaving them to sit in a chair doing nothing all day. ...

My mother had 'Multi Infarct' Dementia, and had it a total of 8 years (from diagnosis), but probably had it for many years before it was confirmed. It started off her forgetting simple things, but being able to remember years gone by, but not being able to tell you what she did minutes beforehand. She started having a few black outs, which no one seemed to have been able to diagnose. Multi Infarct is tiny little assaults on the brain, and the Dementia goes in a step like fashion, opposed to Alzheimers which deteriorates in a smooth slow downward slope. The outcome is the same though. The step like Dementia my Mother had meant that she could go along at a stable ...