Anyone who has parents/relatives with dementia/alzhemeir?

[BrokeBastard]

If so, I was wondering how much of a stress it put on your family? Did the affected person take a long time to pass away? Could you afford to put him/her in a private clinic?

 

[Yman]

Get professional advice and support from the health care system. If you're going to be a caregiver you'll need all the help you can get or you'll go crazy.

It's most difficult to watch someone you love disappear slowly before your eyes. Try to bring as much dignity to the process for both your loved one and yourself. Most important: retain a sense of humour !!!

 

[Markl]

My father had Dementia for the past few years of his life. He passed away on March 15th of this year. I have been living in Edmonton for the past 6 years now and I had gone down every summer except for the last one. It was pretty hard on me really when I would call him. I saw him the day before and was there when he passed.

He was the best parent anyone could have ever wished for. I hated to see him robbed of his dignity by losing his identity and memory.

I remember the last time I had been down, he didn't recognize me at first. That was very awkward.

I don't think I will ever allow myself to get to that state if it happens.

He lived to 92 though, so he had a good life. It was hard on him when my mother passed away before him. I remember one time, my brother and I were having a barbecue in the back yard and he had some drinks of gin and he just broke down crying.

Sigh, life does go on. Family and friends are what is important and I try to be there for them more now. When I am with someone who is special to me, I try to do my best by her.

Dementia robs the person of their dignity. Just an awful way to go, in my opinion.

 

[rafterman]

Typically the interval from diagnosis to death for Alzheimer's sufferers is eight to ten years.

A health nurse or GP can do what's called a "mini-mental" which is a series of twenty or thirty questions to determine the general level of cognition then
if your loved one has not been formally diagnosed you need to have a more detailed assessment done by a geriatrician to confirm the disease and stage.

There are medications which have some efficacy in delaying the progression of the disease the most commonly prescribed is "Arricept". For best results the earlier the treatment begins the better.

If your loved one had an enduring power of attorney then the certificate bringing it into effect must be executed then whomever is designated power can make decisions if not you must go through a public trustee and have your loved one declared incompetent but the PT must then approve all decisions.

Dealing with the Alzheimers is very stressful particularly if the family member resists going into care (quite probable) and if all family members are not of a common mind as to care (hopefully they are).

Public care i.e. long term care is available but you will not have your choice of facility, private care ranges from not that good to excellent but is expensive i.e up to $5,000+ per month.

 

[sevenofnine]

Both of my parents suffered with Alzheimer’s .
It can be very cruel and hard this disease and very much a strain on the family. My father was very bitter angry and confused, he knew something was wrong, I mean in his memory, and when we finally could not take care of him any more and had to place him in a home, he fought it all the way. Like I said he knew something was wrong but he couldn’t grasp what.
He was very much a hand full and a strain on every one.

My mother was totally opposite, and was a delight to be around even at the very end, she was happy, care free. She was a joy to all around her, to us staff everyone that met her, like I said even at the end. But she liked her familiar surroundings. Could get nervous and upset, if she was out of her room for too long but was never a problem.

Financially it can be a burden, you pretty much have to be with them 24/7 or in effect hire a baby sitter to sit with them or home care as the disease progresses you can’t leave them alone.
There are or were subsidies available I'm in Alberta and I'm talking five years ago. For home care and a nursing home.
Actually in Alberta the fee for a nursing home pretty much took care old age and Canada pension, for a basic run of the mill nursing home with an Alzheimer’s wing. They take care of all the meds to in that fee. Which worked in our favor because both my parents had medical complications and the meds for each of them was like four hundred bucks a month or something, which was only partly covered by Alberta health care.
There were subsidies and grants available and we upgraded into a better nursing home with a private room, which was very nice just like a little hotel room but it was pricey. Not sure whats available any more, but look around ask the staff. There was or is still is subsidies out there at least five years ago in Alberta.
Seek help its tough to do it alone. There might even be tax relieve or something if you’re the primary care giver, I remember hearing something about it, not sure of the details. And even depending on where you work if your the primary care giver might be able to take time off work and get paid through ui. I have even heard something about that recently so it might be worth checking into.