Dementia

[LongingSoul]

Likely, she isn’t stupid. She knows it is a finality for her. Seems to me, she needs a great, great deal of comfort.

The problem is really the opposite of that. My father, who my mother still cares for at home… will often say how lucky they are to have their health at their age. He has diabetes and dementia and is totally dependent on my poor mum. Even though he had seen his own mothers decline into dementia… he doesn’t identify with that at all. He couldn’t understand why he had to give up his license or why he isn’t allowed to walk to the shop himself.

Even in Christmas week where he wandered off from home for 7 hours and had 5 police units out looking for him… he was found sunburned and dehydrated on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere (its blazing summer here at Christmas)… he still couldn’t understand why the police were there and what all the fuss was about.

They just don’t realise the impossibility of the life they want. It is heartwrenching for the family who has to place them in appropriate care. I mentioned earlier and another poster with medical qualifications also suggested that some medication to take the edge of the worry and panic is often a good resort to tide a person over this period. Eventually, they aren’t capable of comprehending their own situation and that aspect of their distress is no longer an issue.

It’s very sad to cope with for the children until then (and beyond for different reasons).

 

[gmx2014]

The problem is really the opposite of that. My father, who my mother still cares for at home… will often say how lucky they are to have their health at their age. He has diabetes and dementia and is totally dependent on my poor mum. Even though he had seen his own mothers decline into dementia… he doesn’t identify with that at all. He couldn’t understand why he had to give up his license or why he isn’t allowed to walk to the shop himself.

Even in Christmas week where he wandered off from home for 7 hours and had 5 police units out looking for him… he was found sunburned and dehydrated on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere (its blazing summer here at Christmas)… he still couldn’t understand why the police were there and what all the fuss was about.

They just don’t realise the impossibility of the life they want. It is heartwrenching for the family who has to place them in appropriate care. I mentioned earlier and another poster with medical qualifications also suggested that some medication to take the edge of the worry and panic is often a good resort to tide a person over this period. Eventually, they aren’t capable of comprehending their own situation and that aspect of their distress is no longer an issue.

It’s very sad to cope with for the children until then (and beyond for different reasons).

No doubt, it is all very sad.

For woodwonder’s mother, she is distressed. She knows him well enough that she called him all through the night last night. That means she is at least partially coherent. I stand by my thoughts.