The cover ups are a big giveaway, too. They don't always make sense. I had a pt who could carry on a complete conversation, then you'd realize she was just "mm-hmm" and "oh, yes! Isn't that wonderful!" At everything.
My grandmother could have the same pleasant conversation with you (or anyone) and no one would ever know… until 5 minutes later when it started all over again. Hello, how are you, how was your day…nod nod nod, then it would repeat unless you very pointedly directed the conversation. Before it got that bad, I noticed that when I’d call her, and we’d have a whole hour long heart to heart conversation, she’d completely forget everything the next day. I told my parents at the time, and my dad swore that she was always like that, a seemingly good listener who didn’t really pay attention. I freaking knew that wasn’t true- she was the closest person to my in my family, and she would always listen to me and give me advice and remember everything. It took years, until my grandfather got really sick, for my parents to realize that my grandfather was hiding her dementia, and they apologized to me afterward, but for something like 3 years I was the only one who noticed.
@@mayrose1153I can’t imagine the feeling of not knowing or not remembering.. I care for so many ppl w dementia and it really fascinates me how different they all are, what each remembers, what works to calm them .. awful but interesting disease process
My mil is like that with her.. I think it's, vascular dementia.? Blood vessels in her brain constricting and dying off. She doesn't even recognize her own son or brother in law of 56 years. It's definitely hard on us and I know it's so hard on her, she's so sweet and tries to laugh it off but we can see she has a hard time with it
@@janesays1278I'm so sorry, that's awful. Something similar happened with my grandma and my grandad was working so hard to hide it until he passed away
I took 4 semesters of spanish to be able to talk to my grandma when alzheimers took her ability to speak english but by the time i learned enough spanish i realized she didnt make sense in spanish either.
pero ahora, tienes la historia de tu abuela en tu voz. la lengua, las raíces, la memoria son muy importantes. estás más próxima a tu abuela ahora. Lo siento mucho. Era una situación similar para mi. Mucho amor a ti ❤️
My grandma has it but it's not that bad yet... Recently she's been asking about her parents and her husband (all dead before i was born)... Sometimes she even forgets about my mom who is her main caregiver (she talks about my mom to my mom, like she's talking about someone else). Lately I've been feeling so grateful when she calls me by my name, cuz soon that'll probably not happen anymore 😞
That happened to my grandfather, he'd talk about how proud he was of his son... to his son (my dad). He was always so surprised and happy to learn he had a granddaughter (I'm the eldest grandchild of his, I was age 28 at the time), but more often he would get terribly upset and distressed instead because he knew he was forgetting but not what he was forgetting. My parents and us children were not ever very close to him (and his witch of a wife) but it was still so sad to see his decline, and though he has always talked about dying but that was all he talked about in the last months.
By that point in the disease, it is better to not have her get upset all over again when learning of the passing of relatives. Distract with something else .
I recently lost my grandfather due to Parkinson’s. He also developed Parkinson’s Dementia due to the disease. All the symptoms in this video are true. But let me tell you, they never stop loving you. One day, he gestured to his head and said “I may not remember you here, but I’ll always remember you here” when gesturing to his heart. He couldn’t remember who I was to him. To him I could’ve been a mom, sister, aunt, daughter or friend, but he knew that I was family because I was someone he loved. Time breaks down our mind and bodies, but it never touches our soul.
Even if it starts to seem like they're already gone, there is always a part of them still in there. My grandmother's got really bad before she went, but I would sit with her on the porch swing in the sun and drink hot chocolate, even if she didn't talk much. It was never my goal to make her remember me, just to provide a safe, loving environment for her and I was so honored to get to care for the person who cared for me when I was young
THANK you, I feel like there’s so much talk about how people with dementia are “husks of their former selves” and “barely alive” it’s so heartless, I can’t imagine people saying such things about someone they spend time with and really observe. In my experience with my own mom altzheimers primarily takes away your ability to communicate and to understand, but it doesn’t diminish one’s ability to feel or experience compassion. My mom is at a very late stage, can barely speak, but she still tries to help fold the laundry, push the other residents wheelchairs. She likes white noise. Listening to birds. She’s still a busybody.
@@outorii4659Sadly though - and I truly deeply hope your mom never reaches that point....but I worked on a mostly dementia unit in a nursing home for 3 years. with most of them they do have life in them you are right. But I've seen it get to a point where they are like living ghosts. They lose all ability to speak at all, they stop reacting when you speak, you touch their hand or gently put some hand cream on them as you talk to them but they don't even have the ability to turn their head or even move the gaze of their eyes to where you are. They make no sounds, they don't even move their own body anymore. All they do ( at least from what I could see on the outside) is, sleep for a while, wake up for a while and breath. if their bodily health is good they can live like this for years and years. In my heart, I really hope that they are living an "inner life" at that point - living in memories from the past or just taking in some part of something that is going on around them. I am not afraid to die. I believe in God and Heaven. What I am afraid of is being alive and getting Dementia. Unfortunately it runs in my family and several other conditions I have make the odds higher that I will get it. It scares me
@@katnip9280it has no genetic determination but you are more likely to develop it if a first parent or sibling did due to a similar environment which houses the causes of alzheimer’s. that is why people think it’s “genetic”
💯!!! It laid my 74 year mother flat out (woke with her not moving on ground) and long ICU stay where the doctors thought of everything else but a basic urinary tract infection at first. Scrambled her brain and took her 2 weeks of rehab to start walking again. She complained of no prior symptoms before. She takes AZO everyday now in hopes to keep another one from occurring. More people need to be aware of UTIs in older adults!!
when someone with alzheimer’s forgets your name. it’s going to hurt but don’t remind them that youve already known each. if they saying “nice to meet you, i’m. ____” go along with it. i had to do this with my neighbor
Yes, the kindest thing is to play along with them, not pull them up. I’ve heard people become very annoyed with their loved ones when they don’t remember or stuff up, sadly their already frustrated and confused 🤷♀️ Its frustrating for us, but we need to be kind, and think about all the good these people have done in their lives.
If these symptoms come on suddenly, take your loved one to their primary physician. They should be checked for systemic infection, such as urinary tract infection or sepsis. These can mess with an elderly person's brain.
As a nurse, this is so important to check. Dementia never happens suddenly like that, it's almost always delirium - and delirium is life-threatening! Even in people who already have dementia, if their cognitive/behavioural symptoms suddenly get worse over a 24-48 hour period, it could also be delirium that they need to get checked out
@@ada5851 we knew grandpa had dementia. We were in the process of getting him assessed, but we knew. Me and mom came out to stay with him and his wife because we all knew once he got lost on his way home for 8+ hours without being aware of how long it had been or that he was lost. (thankful for the state trooper that eventually intervened and got ahold of his wife.) We knew what his symptoms were and how is new normal was. Over the course of one afternoon and evening, he suddenly had a rapid shift in affect, genuinely hallucinating, sudden slip in motor control. He was no longer slipping in and out of the present, he was obviously in an altered reality talking to cats who weren't there having a completely different day then we were. Losing speech and dexterity before my eyes. I was the youngest person in the room. I'm a burned out dropout that shouldn't know more than my elders. But I remembered my other grandmother, a nurse, always had one of the FAST magnets on the fridge I'd read when getting water. His face was sagging, one arm was weaker than the other, his speech was altered, and we had already lost a lot of time by the time it all clicked for me. Neither my mom nor his wife had realized, I don't think they would have and that scares me still. I went upstairs, called 911, explained what I was seeing and the operator thanked me for calling, thanked me for taking it seriously, got people moving towards us immediately. I came downstairs and told the adults hey, y'all need to pack an overnight bag and grab phone chargers and meds, the paramedics are on the way, who's driving the follow car? And they were shocked and almost wanted to argue and I just shut that shit down. After all was said and done with exams and scans, they confirmed he'd had about 200 TIAs so far. The fact that he was able to function and mask for so long still blows my mind. The fact that no other adults around us noticed they were watching death still disturbs me. Dementia might create new normals, but sudden changes are NOT normal even for dementia! Just because your loved one has dementia doesn't mean they can't have other crises! Don't let them get so sick just because they're less aware and able to communicate. If they're showing signs that would worry you in a non-dementia person, take them to the fucking doctor!
This comment needs to be pinned!! My mum and I have been full time carers for my 87 year old, bariatric, 40+ year diabetic grandma eince my grandad passed away 3 years ago. The health complications are enourmous and infections are common, not to mention the grief process after losing a 60+ year husband and companion. She has been on a betamorphine patch since stress fracturing her sacrum at the end of 2022 and spending 3 months in hospital. She shows multiple of these symptoms since. She came out of hospital with more complications than she went in with. Mum knows her mum incredibly well, and I've learnt over the years. She has withdrawels from the betamorphine patch weekly (extremely sensitive to medications naturally) and constant infections. Majority of health care professionals look at her and assume she has lost her mind and treat her as such, but we know she's 100% compus mentus. They did a mental capability test (not sure of the exact name but that's the jist) when she was in hospital at the start of the year. She got 99 out of 100, being extremely close to right on the one question she got wrong. Mum and I know she's more "with it" than us the majority of the time. Yet somehow, we end up having to constantly defend her sanity to family and healthcare professionals. I can't imagine what would happen to her and other elderly people in these situations without appropriate advocates. Seperate but related - my mums bestfriend put her step father in care at the start of the year, he is also diabetic, has cellulitus of the lower limbs and was on a betamorphine patch. They thought he had lost his mind, both family and healthcare professionals. The cost of having him in private aged care in this country is enourmous, 5 siblings have to contribute $200pp each month to pay for his care. Within a few months in the home they got him off the betamorphine patch. He is completely normal mentally and after coming off the patch, the family realised that he did not need to be in care... I really, really hope your comment gets pinned!!
Yup! It happened to a family member just this month. They do have some problems with mobility and putting their thoughts into words but over the course of a few days it got REALLY bad. They went to the hospital for testing and it turned out they had a mild UTI. After antibiotics, they were doing markedly better.
You probably already know, so sorry to be redundant. But just in case you don't. There's a booklet/ pamphlet called Understanding the Dementia Experience that is written both for caretakers/ loved ones as well as patients. It's a loving, compassionate guide for people that know they're losing their memory and are scared. It speaks about new types of normals and where hope still grows. I feel for both you and your patient. Thank you for providing compassionate and attentive care to vulnerable people.
My grandma was cooking sausage… her pan was on, but it had no grease or sausage. She was so proud of herself telling us how she buys in bulk and cooks it and freezes it. She used to do that. She doesn’t grocery shop for herself, or make food for herself anymore. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that there was nothing there. She was so happy. I couldn’t. I however did make sure the stove was off.
I learned in elderly care, let them have their happy memories and fantasies, ripping them out of it only hurts everyone, and breaks connections. Let them have their happiness, because there is nothing more heartbreaking than when they get confused and cry and get angry out of fear because they can not remember, and they realise they can not do what they did before. Let them dream, it will be easier for everyone around in the end.
My grandpa was trying to fry peppers on the gas stove...w/o a pan. Just peppers on an open flame. He used to try to run away from home too. My parents had to lock up the house at all times.
Yep my gram got grumpy at me once for not handing her her coffee that wasn't actually there hahahaha it's sad for sure but it's also a part of life and just letting people be happy when it's this part of thier life is important.
@@janb.9046This reminded me of my Mexican friend who showed me that they do actually fry peppers over an open flame on the stove in order for the skin to peel off when a recipee requires it. Maybe this particular act didn’t come from Dementia after all.
I’m a server and this lady was literally speaking gibberish to me and her husband was telling me what she wanted. By the end she was trying to say she wanted a box and I basically understood her and she looked excited! My heart goes out to her and her husband.
My grandma has that. Last week she almost had a panic attack because she forgot where she was and that she doesn't know where Joy (me) is. I asked her how old is she and she said 2 years old. I quickly calmed her down and sat her down gave her some water and talked with her. I introduced myself as Mia, neighbour's daughter that came to visit her. I had to lie or else she'll start yelling and might even faint because of her other health issues. After a couple of minutes, she came back to her senses and praised me how I handled everything perfectly, all alone.
That's a tough situation and you really thought on your feet. One of the worst things you can do for someone with this kind of memory loss is try and correct them. Good job
@hannahfey9718 absolutely. And if you see people doing the corrections, gently suggest they roll with the person's line of reasoning. I see several accounts on social media with "correctors". I think they would be exhausted. If you wait the issue is over in a couple of minutes.
@@brendar9363I hate when people say it’s cruel to lie to people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. They literally can’t comprehend reality in this state, and trying to correct them on what they’re saying only confuses them and stresses them further. Don’t lie to them about everything of course, but when they’re panicked and scared, it’s the best and most gentle thing to do
@@madokami03 I can only imagine waking up in a bed I don't recognize and getting up, only to see a strange man in the kitchen who insists he's my husband even though I've never been married. It would be extremely upsetting to have him insist I'm wrong, and I just don't remember because I'm not well, that we've been husband and wife for 20 years and I should recognize him, etc.
My dad had sun downers dementia. He was in the hospital and I was staying with him. One evening when he was a little confused he asked me if I saw the flying chickens. We were on the 5th floor of the hospital. I just went with it. Asked him what they looked like because I missed them. He gave me a complete description of them. We sat on his bed together. I will take calm confusion over him getting agitated and aggressive. Another time the nurse was late with his night meds because he had 2 new patients come on the floor who were in really bad shape. The nurse apologized. Dad refused to take his meds. And the nurse didn't want to upset him. He told me we are not supposed to do this, but can you convince him to take his meds. I took the container of pills, stared at them for a bit then it came to me. I looked at the pills again, counted them and looked at dad. I told dad that mom had counted his pills before she gave them to the nurse and they are all there. Dad took the pills, said ok and swallowed them. The nurse gave me a high 5. Dad trusted mom implicitly. Thank God he did. Mom and dad are both in heaven.
From my experience, there’s signs much sooner than the obvious memory ones.. changes in behavior was the first one I noticed in my mom.. she wasn’t content doing the things she would normally do. She would get bored easy and didn’t know what to do with herself. She wouldn’t want to be alone. Yes, occasionally she would repeat a story or misplace something, but I for sure noticed other changes first that at the time, I did not realize were part of the disease. She stopped showering as frequent and stopped being her usual tidy self. Just did very random things like use her hand to get cereal instead of pouring it how she normally would. She even stopped drinking coffee. There is a lot more to Alzheimer’s than what they show on tv. It’s a much worse and sometimes very dark disease. I despise it with a passion and pray for everyone who has to watch closely a loved one go through it. Props to all the 24/7 care givers to this disease. My heart is with you all.
less frequent showering can be a mobility issue. my cousin noticed grandpa wasnt showering and it turned out to be it was because he couldnt get over the edge of the tub. replaced it with a walk in shower and problem solved. fortunately grandpa stayed sharp and aware his whole life. I realize what a blessing God gave us in that.
@@tbonejenkins8807 thats a great observation! I’m glad it turned out to be something you guys were able to find a solution for 😊 I don’t believe it was a mobility issue for my mom, she was actually only 66 when it started, and she was in good physical shape. In the beginning stages, I kind of just thought she was getting older and didn’t need to shower everyday like she used to. Didn’t think much of it at the time, but when it started getting worse, I was able to see that the shower was confusing and frustrating for her. So of course I helped her out
My mom was diagnosed last year at 65yo but had been showing signs in her short term memory for at least 5 years. She's not as bad as in this video but I'm not looking forward it and how it may exacerbate the negative parts of her personality
@@olivia7977 I’m so sorry to hear that. It’s a very hard disease to watch. I hope they can find a better treatment for it soon. I hope you have a strong support system. My thoughts and prayers are with you both 💜 stay strong
@@olivia7977please look into lions mane. It’s a mushroom that helps eliminate the plaque build up on the neurones of the brain. And good gut health is vital. Look into the carnivore diet for her. Keep faith that things can be reversed or stopped or at least slowed down.
It's so important to remind them that it isn't bad or a problem. I had a half a year of fogginess and memory issues and I was so frustrated and upset with myself. My mom would ask me to do something, I'd say okay, then just wander off like she never even spoke to me. I'd reach into hot ovens and boiling water with my bare hands, I'd take a shower an hour or so after already taking one, I'd leave the dogs outside... it was insane. It took the understanding, patience, and a lot of help from my mom to get through it. I know you can't recover from alzheimer's, but they deserve to be at peace with what time they have left
There seems to be a new treatment for it that would cure it or help with it way more than the previous treatments. It's not available yet and I can't remember what it is but there is hope.
What caused your brain fog? I have the same due to fibromyalgia and it’ll never go away. But it’s normal for me so I just laugh about it and ask for family to give me reminders if I don’t follow through.
I feel ya. Already had memory issues due to chronic fatigue/inflammation then got long covid. Couldn't even remember the beginning of sentences - mine, or my partner's. Three years later and a lot of lifestyle changes, i'm almost back to normal. I was pretty patient of people's issues before but even more so now I know what it's like from the inside. Biggest things that helped was quitting all sugars, ssris, and walking/strength exercises whenever I was able to.
I m 45, generally scatter brained (i suspect undiagnosed adhd). I struggle with daily chores, remembering conversations and i often forget i was saying mid sentence. Have forgotten y i walked into a room and also went in the kitchen during parties to get something for a guest and forgot all about it. 😭
Also facial recognition is another issue with dementia and Alzheimer's. My grandma had it. Yet she remembered how to play crazy difficult song arrangements on the piano from memory, because she grew up a pianist. Glad she never lost her love or memory of that. 💜
@@itypewrite3422 I've heard that. And seen it bring back so many memories for people with Alzheimer's/dementia. It's truly amazing to see, and a little comforting during all the other things going on w/ the disease progression.
We found out ‘somethings up w Dad’ when I went on the most terrifying car ride w him. He’s a really cranky, spends a lot of time in his study by himself and drove himself everywhere. He did the shopping w a list from my Mum and I have my own car so wasn’t until I needed a ride that I was like Holy Shit! Creating his own lane next to a huge truck in heavy traffic…..literally saw my life flash before my eyes. That’s when we took him to his Dr and learned how truly far it had progressed before we even knew it was an issue.
I learned something very very important about working with people who have dementia in any way, shape or form. Don’t try to force your dementia patient into your world it ends up, frustrating them which ends up, frustrating you, and that’s not gonna be a good time together to maximize the time together try to enter into their world. The other thing that I learned is that if you can bring in anything from their teenagers to their 30s, whether it be the type of toaster, they had a type of radio they had the music they were listening to the TV programs that they were listening to if you can find photographs of art that was on their walls and replicate that that helps them tremendously. It helps them stay in a good space. Virtual hugs for anybody suffering from this disease, and for their loved ones
Sadly my step mother has forbidden us kids y Dads children) from visiting. Even calling the police on us saying we were trying to kidnap him (cause I wanted him there for my twins celebration of life) she HATES HE has gotten to a point of forgetting her and her children and only asks about our mother and US kids.
@@lorireed8046You guys should start recording her activities and then call Adult Protective Services. Also make sure that your names are in the emergency contact lists and that his will hasn't been tampered with. It's common for spouses to have wills edited when life turns "bad", especially when the patient cannot properly give concent anymore. 😊
Remember regression… Around 2018, three years before she died, the doctor ask my mom how old she was. I snickered to myself with her response, “52”… I was 53 - and that was a miracle, that I was older than my mom! Still, it gave me perspective into her thinking, that I later used to question my dad in a conversation about an activity for high school students that he wanted to attend. I had to walk him through many patient questions before he was willing to graciously accept that it wasn’t an appropriate activity for him (vascular dementia and Parkinson’s).
I had a pt who completely forgot how to speak English and reverted back to speaking his native German which he hadn't spoken since he was a child according to his family.
Ditto. My grandma was an immigrant from Hungary whose native language was German at home. She also picked up Hungarian and a few other European languages before English. She remembered German and Hungarian toward the end. I was blessed to know enough German to be able to speak to her.
my grandma suffered with this before she passed. she forgot my name and my dads name (her son) as well as she kept asking all of us where her mom was (her mom passed before I was even born) and reverting back to childhood age behaviour. It’s a heart breaking experience. She passed last year and although she didn’t remember anyone or who she even was anymore, I miss her very much.
my great grandmother was the same. She'd forget me and my brother existed and every time we'd visit she'd think we're some guests she doesnt know, or relatives who've passed away long ago (she'd think i'm her sister, or cousin, or niece....all those people were either dead or 80+ year old and I was in my late teens)
@@WhoamI-ml6djIDK about OP, but it runs in my family. The women in my mom’s side of the family have developed dementia for generations. I saw it in my babcia when I was young and I’ve been petrified of it happening to my mom ever since. And… Sometimes when I disassociate or whatever, when I’m not sure if I’m really awake or not, I’ll wonder if I’m actually 80 and living a memory as a delusion. I live with the occasional thought that what I think I’m experiencing right now could actually be a long past time with most of my real life out of my own grasp.
@@Dreamscape195If you feel concerned, do go to a doctor and reach out for your local dementia/alzhaimers association so you can learn more about possible preventative measures. 😊
I work in a nursing home and I see Alzheimer’s in every state of progression. It’s a terrifying disease. The best thing you can do is get them professional help. It’s unpredictable and comes with so many different factors.
Can it come in spurts? Like doing everything in the video, but then after a nap or half a day they're normal, and it just keeps happening at least once a day?
@@nicolet6216 if you’re asking for yourself or someone you know I suggest seeing a professional. They’ll be able to help you or your loved one understand what’s going on better and how to move forward from there. It could also possibly be something else, although I’m not especially knowledgeable. I’m just a CNA haha, wiping butts and stuff 😂
@@Riivornnot "just" a CNA... your probably just as knowledgeable as the higher up nurses.. especially with certain illnesses.. youre ESSENTIAL to health care and all those ladies and men in the nursing homes .. hospitals ❤
I'm back home right now to visit my grandma with Alzheimer's, and it just breaks my heart. I come back to my hotel room emotionally drained and crying. I just want my grandma back...
I took care of my mom for years and she passed.. Don't correct them or get mad.. just love them and enjoy them for as long as you have them. You will thank yourself and it will make your time together so much better
My grandma had Alzheimer's. It's unbelievably hard and sad to see them go, just fade away... I can only imagine how difficult it was for her at the beginning feeling herself slip away. Fragment by fragment this disease just chips away a person's whole identity and life, it's truly devastating. Remember to cherish your loved ones always❤
Please spend time with the person who might be passing away or having Alzheimer's. You don't know how quickly it's coming and it sucks when you realize that they don't remember you anymore and they won't remember the memories you've made. But when you can make memories while they remember you, it is the most amazing thing ever. And even after they can't remember you, you can remember that and you can love them and support them and make them realize that they still have family.
I don't remember faces.. sometimes words/vocabulary while speaking.. I forget tasks.. And nobody takes me seriously not even doctor. Everyone says that i am lazy and don't pay enough attention.
You need to see another doctor, and explain to them that you are worried you many have a memory disorder. Keep pushing if they blow you off, and ask that they give you, in writing, that they refuse to do proper testing for memory problems. Usually, that scares them into actually doing their jobs. Also, know that what you mentioned are the symptoms of a wide variety of disabilities and disorders, so don’t be surprised if you thought it was Alzheimer’s and it ends up as something different. I, for example, experience a lot of these problems as a result of ADHD complications. You should definitely advocate for yourself though. Never accept anything less than adequate care - sincerely, a disabled person that doctors love to ignore.
You know you better than anyone and if something feels off, it is off. You'll find a doctor who is willing to go the extra mile cuz he/she is all about patient care. All the best
My cousins grandma is the world to me and she is the sweetest! She has this condition, but one day it really scared us when she started crying and didn’t know why she was alive where she was and who we were. We asked the doctor and they said that this is what happens when you get old. The doctor said she didn’t have long to live and it all left us heart broken. Every time we go over there we make sure she gets lots of love. She always tells us in urthu, “live a long life” and we start crying because she knows she is going to die soon too😭
My grandfather had dementia due to brain tumors. My dad and all us kids have never been close but it was surprisingly pretty difficult to see him not recognise my dad or his other children. He did talk about my dad's mum a lot, though, and forgot he remarried (an evil stepmother!!) after she died, and remembered her and his brother. It was very strange hearing him talk about his older brother and say "I have a son called Alan we named after him... I think he's still away studying", whilst talking to the same son, Alan. He was always so upset when we gently told him who we were and he'd sometimes cry. It was heartbreaking, especially for my dad, to see a previously very intelligent man reduced to such, and especially since we saw the same thing happen to his older brother a few years earlier (who was more of a grandfather to me than my real grandfather, honestly). I'm terrified this will happen to someone I love.
Supplements can be a crutch but the best thing I ever did for adhd was quit sugars. Sugar gives you a massive dopamine hit and it was completely messing with my already fragile motivation and memory. When i'm sugar-free I can actually function more or less like a non-adhd person (but I keep the creativity and humour, so win).
honestly it makes the thought of getting it almost a bit less scary to me, because im already used to forgetting stuff and making 'dumb' mistakes, (not that alzheimers isnt way worse, but at least it makes the thought of it even just a little less bad)
My Nena has Alzheimer's and she's had all of these symptoms it's really heartbreaking to hear she doesn't remember us but I know it's not her fault she can't be left alone or she might injure herself and her children my aunties and uncles when they take care of her they really struggle and it's really difficult i hope that she is able to be at peace soon and not confused anymore at daily tasks I mean I don't want her to die but I feel like she would be more at peace
This is actually very normal for caregivers It is okay to feel relief when your suffering relative passes away and it doesn't mean you don't love them or wish they were still with you. It's just part of the caregiving process because it really does take such a big toll on the people who love and care for them
I have the same concerns about my father. My grandfather died of Alzheimer's, and he is definitely showing some signs. Getting the doctor's to check it out, or getting him to admit he is having problems is the hard part
So heart breaking. My sister and I and our respective husbands are really starting to worry about our mom. Her memory is really slipping. We're trying to work out ways right now that she'll no longer live alone, but still have her independence as long as possible. My husband and I are working hard to be able to get a house with a mother in law suite for her.
the utter pain, realization, and sadness that was able to be conveyed everytime you turned into the mom had me taken aback-its so hard when loved ones fall ill to this disease, but i can only *imagine* how complicated and difficult it is for *them*
My grandmother has FLD and the covering up is a big thing. At times I feel frustrated but I know she must too or she wouldn't be deflecting. Her memory isn't awful but her mood and behavior can get rough.
My grandmother had it and she died recently. She showed all of these symptoms. At the end she was always asking for her late husband or her late parents and it was quite heartbreaking to witness..I miss her.
I read that with patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia, if the patient isn’t rooted in our current time, meet them in theirs. No need to disrupt their serenity. Why must we distress them and uproot them to our reality? obviously if they’re distressed about a “missing”family member, redirection is probably best…just stop stressing out these confused folks :(
I'm always worried I'll miss the signs for someone in my family, as we experience some of the less extreme symptoms like memory loss and issues with speaking/remembering words since we're ADHD.
Honey you won't miss the signs for long because it can progress very quickly and there is no mistaking what it is. You will know when they ask you the same questions fifty times a day sometimes several times in a few seconds. They can become very compulsive about possessions or even things they are worried about. There are so many behaviors that play into that disease but you will know.
I'm worried my grandma may have Alzheimers. She's been forgetting things for years but she was visiting us for dinner yesterday and completely forgot her way home. She's come over hundreds of times, so it was scary when she had to ask where to go. She had a hard time recognizing smells, tastes, and other things as well. There was a lot of things I could remember of her with these symptoms. I just hope she'll be okay. She was never the best of people, but I don't want her to be in any more pain than she already is.
@@Avenoir333 She won't let us! A lot of the time she doesn't recognize what's happening, so when we talk about bringing her to a doctor or getting a nurse to care for her, she shuts it down immediately. She wouldn't go even if we made the appointment.
My grandpa also got a severe paranoia in the early stages. He suddenly didn’t trust his wife and secretly tried to buy a whole separate house “just in case”!
Alzheimer’s is such a horrible disease. My great grandmother had it. At first she started forgetting my younger cousins names, then mine and my brother’s name, and even my dad’s name. She used to call everyone Frankie (her son/my grandfather’s name). She passed early this year. We all miss her so much. But she lived a long, happy life. She lived almost to 90, and it was her time. She had been living with my grandparents for 8 or 9 years. Sorry for the sob story. I try to think about her and be happy that she lived a long life, instead of sad that she is gone now.
My friend and i nursed the young at heart for many years ,.alzheimer's is heartbreaking..We are almost 62..knowing it can appear at any age ..My friend was diagnosed with alzheimer's last year..and with breast cancer ..Her family say she kept the cancer to her self ..I truly believe the onset of alzheimer's had a lot to do with it..Shed forget things ,put things in the wrong place a long time ago😢
This is so important. Research has come a long way. As of right now, there isn't a cure. There are medications that can slow down the plaque processes.
My grandad has diagnosed dementia but my grandmother was showing signs of alzhiemers before passing (one example is her telling me I can't have salt on something bc it'd make me sneeze bc she got salt and pepper mixed up. It wasn't a quick comment either it was a 5min conversation)
This disease sucks so bad. No one should spend a life time building families & memories just to 4get them. & no one should have to walk into a room & have their loved one have no idea who they u r. It's slow & heartbreaking & pray for anyone goin thru it.
I have ADHD, I occasionally have those, if I get alzhimers I feel sorry for anyone that knows me 😭 cuz in the beginning it's going to be hard to figure out what the hell is happening!
I’m beginning to recognize my own mind “missing or skipping thoughts” when no one else will acknowledge it. They’ve noticed mood changes though. I began therapy immediately. (Made me curious if some of the older “KAREN”-types may have this common problem. ). Illness and injuries makes it worse, another known fact as you age.
I was incredibly honored to be one of the few people my great grandmother remembered before she passed away. The situation of me joining the family was extremely messy and she was one of the major supporters of my grandparents getting custody of me. She remembered her husband, her sons and their wives, and me. She didn't even recognize the grandchild she spent 5 years raising but she remembered me.
My mom took a picture of my dad in his 20's and said, "Wasn't my dad handsome?". My dad gently corrected her and said, "That was me back in the 50's" and she got SOOO upset. I wish he just agreed with her. It was so hard seeing her get so upset.
My grandma had dementia and she was incredibly skilled at covering it up. It tugged at my heartstrings at the same time as it was a fascinating revelation about one facet of the human condition. She used her charm to glide through the places in conversation where her lack of memory and/or wherewithal might have stalled the flow. I always, always let it go. You must keep talking to them and not call them out, it’s useless and hurtful. They do begin to live in a different reality which I personally view as a bridge to heaven. God bless my grandma and all elderly who go through this. They deserve engaging conversations and the greatest love we can muster.
I knew my mum had it and family, doctors and other professionals thought it was depression. It took her trying to hurt herself to get looked at properly. No one YET has had the courage to admit I was right. I looked after folk with it from 14. Thankfully she's been caught early.
Thank you for spreading awareness, I never realized that Alzheimer's is more than just 'memory loss', and being sometimes moody or frustrated because of the memory loss.
Sweetie- you have given a lot of those who are not knowledgeable in medical terminology a great shortcut to help remember and recognize what issues may be happening with their loved ones. Awesome little video!! 💜
I can’t and don’t want to imagine how utterly heartbreakingly it must be to see your loved ones go through this. The fear that one day they’ll look at you and ask you who you are must be horrific. What a cruel, cruel disease.
You can’t imagine. It is terrifying and heartbreaking ❤️🩹 😢 I hope you don’t have to ever experience this with a loved one. Alzheimer’s with dementia took my grandma and it still breaks my heart-she would ask for my grandpa, her husband “Clyde” all the time. He passed from ALS in 93’ (another terrible thing to watch a person suffer from.) WW2 vet literally made it back home (thankfully) only to get ALS years later and pass away quickly but it was agonizing to watch and I can’t imagine how he felt. They were married for over 50 years. My mom has Parkinson’s Disease. I am terrified to watch her go through that knowing that there isn’t anything I can do to stop it! 😢
My dad got dementia. He lived out of state over 6 hours away. I visited him once or twice a month. I would always bring him a stuffed animal when i visited. He never remembered my name or who i was, but his face lit up when he saw what i brought. He would be so silent and stare off into the blue. I brought him CDs of a lot of the old music he listened to. He would remain quiet until i intentionally sang the songs wrong. He would pep up and correct me. It really hurts when they dont remember you or your name. Make the most of any time you have with them. A lot of times, they just stop talking so talk to them while they can still communicate. And remember to be empathetic and patient. Even though they may seem "lost", they have feelings.
Watching this disease progress in my grandfather was gut wrenching. When I was a kid it was hidden, even I became an adult my grandma and parents would make excuses. It wasn’t until I was older I knew and understood. I’d never wish Alzheimer’s on my worst enemy.
Geez.... This video just broke my heart cause I watched Both My Grandfathers go through this.... Unless youve been through it people dont understand how hard watching a loved one fade away with this disease is.... For me the hardest part was when they got to the level where I was "Forgotten".... It wasnt that they forgot I was Family because the resemblances are so strong in my Family you Cant Deny were are related.... It was the having to be Someone Else because they no longer could access the memory that I was their Grandbaby. I was a daughter, sister, and mom at some point or another....But sometimes....Sometimes a nerve got fired off and theyd remember me clearly....I cherished those fleeting moments....Cause I knew that they hadnt TRULY Forgotten Me....The disease just blocked them from remembering clearly. Anyone whos dealing with a loved one with this; Dont think youre "Forgotten"....Youre not. They just cant access the memory.... But its still there....Just trapped. They still love you. They still need you. And in their heart they do know who you are.
My mother slightly shows these signs, but her MS affects her cognitive response to everyday things. Conversation takes a little more effort, I’m mindful to let her take her time collecting her thoughts(don’t rush her decision making process), and I try to stay consistent with common tasks; choosing what to eat, what time her nurses come by etc. Its difficult at times, but I try to let feel like she’s still in full control of herself. It’s an unsettling feeling when you know you’re losing yourself.
Aw man my heart goes out to anyone who has a family member with this type of illness. There's a term "ambiguous grief" that means grieving the loss of a loved one who is still alive. It can happen when someone has a loved one who is lost in addiction or the onset of severe mental illness. It also happens when Alzheimer's and dementia, or any other neurodegenerative disease. Physically, the they're still with you. But mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, it feels like they're already gone or slowly slipping away. Stay strong everyone. You've got this.
I had to watch my grandma go thru this, my grandpa had ALS and my mom has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. My heart is beyond broken. I didn’t know what the term was called but this is exactly how I’ve felt.
I'm sad at the fact my grandma passed but I am very grateful that she didn't get terribly bad before. Definitely had moments that weren't the best but it still wasn't the worst.
The most heart-breaking thing that can happen to a person in my opinion. I know from my own mental disorders that whatever disordered action is happening externally, it's always way worse and much scarier internally. I can't imagine the fear of losing yourself, losing your mind. And especially in the earlier stages when you are still lucid enough to know it's happening. I've lost a few relatives who had dementia or Alzheimer's, and it's awful. I'm not religious but i hope somewhere out there, they've found peace.
My grandmother died a few years ago from alzheimer's. When she was still fairly lucid she would fiddle with small objects or bits of paper for hours at a time or claim she could see ants all over the table in front of her. She'd also sometimes ask us to let her use the phone so she could call her sister, who had been dead for several years by that point. Miss you grandma, wish I could have your homemade apple jelly one more time.
Such a cruel disease. My heart goes out to anyone dealing with this and their families. Stay strong. My dad has Parkinsons and is also just gut wrenching. Heart breaking.
My mom has Parkinson’s too. I’m sorry you also have a loved one, your dad who also has this cruel disease as well. It’s like a car wreck I know what’s coming, where I’m at and I’m screaming the whole way, trying to slam the brakes, stop this, save my mom from this. But all I can do is…nothing (other than what is medically offered and there isn’t much). And that’s devastating to me.
@Jillybean0621 I have been daddy's girl from day 1. My dad was always a very big strong take no bs kind of man Seeing him become weaker and have such a hard time doing things. Getting forgetful. Losing his sense of days and times. Is absolutely gut-wrenching Having trouble with his speech some days. Just writing this out . Thinking about what all could be ahead of us. You can't describe thus kind of ache. The hardest part I know he knows what could happen. I can see it in his eyes and I can't do anything for him. I can't stop this monster from taking everything from him. Thank you for sharing. It's just me I don't have any siblings to go through it with. So it is just something I do and go through without stopping too long to think I wish your mom peace and comfort, it's all we can do. I'm here to make whatever time we have making him smile and laugh.
My grandpa died a little over a year ago. He had Dementia and metastatic cancer, but my family didn’t want to do any testing for Alzheimer’s as to them it didn’t matter. Grandpa was a tough-it-out kinda guy, a man of very few (but always meaningful) words, and a veteran with many amazing stories. Him and my grandma were tied at the hip. She took care of him his whole life and they never fought. Once he passed, she didn’t know what to do with herself. I saw her slowly deteriorate. Now she has most of the signs shown in the video and the same as what Grandpa had, but the whole family keeps blowing it off as nothing. I think they’re all just in denial and don’t wanna go through that trauma again, but it’s not helping her. She’ll not recognize her own family on a picture or think i’m my cousin and the family will be all “oh mom, you knew that, cmon.” I’m gentle and understanding with her, though. I wish they’d acknowledge what’s going on because the way they act towards her is everything that I’ve read what NOT to do.
My mom was always going to High School. I was told they hold on to the time she was the happiest. She loved knowledge and was the smartest person I knew. Miss Her advice (She loved to give it😂) ❤ you mama
😢 I've been caregiving for my Mother with Alzheimers for just over a year now and it's truly one of the toughest things I've ever done... I'm thankful to get this time with her, but I miss my mom, too. 😢
I love the smelling the egg to “see if it’s ripe.” My grandma had dementia. It’s such an awful disease, you really need to find humour and joy in the moments you can
The cover ups are a big giveaway, too. They don't always make sense. I had a pt who could carry on a complete conversation, then you'd realize she was just "mm-hmm" and "oh, yes! Isn't that wonderful!" At everything.
😢 it must be so very hard
My grandmother could have the same pleasant conversation with you (or anyone) and no one would ever know… until 5 minutes later when it started all over again. Hello, how are you, how was your day…nod nod nod, then it would repeat unless you very pointedly directed the conversation.
Before it got that bad, I noticed that when I’d call her, and we’d have a whole hour long heart to heart conversation, she’d completely forget everything the next day. I told my parents at the time, and my dad swore that she was always like that, a seemingly good listener who didn’t really pay attention. I freaking knew that wasn’t true- she was the closest person to my in my family, and she would always listen to me and give me advice and remember everything. It took years, until my grandfather got really sick, for my parents to realize that my grandfather was hiding her dementia, and they apologized to me afterward, but for something like 3 years I was the only one who noticed.
@@mayrose1153I can’t imagine the feeling of not knowing or not remembering.. I care for so many ppl w dementia and it really fascinates me how different they all are, what each remembers, what works to calm them .. awful but interesting disease process
My mil is like that with her..
I think it's, vascular dementia.? Blood vessels in her brain constricting and dying off. She doesn't even recognize her own son or brother in law of 56 years. It's definitely hard on us and I know it's so hard on her, she's so sweet and tries to laugh it off but we can see she has a hard time with it
@@janesays1278I'm so sorry, that's awful. Something similar happened with my grandma and my grandad was working so hard to hide it until he passed away
I took 4 semesters of spanish to be able to talk to my grandma when alzheimers took her ability to speak english but by the time i learned enough spanish i realized she didnt make sense in spanish either.
That’s so heartbreaking 😢 so sorry for your family
Damn. Dementia got my dad. Sorry for your loss.
pero ahora, tienes la historia de tu abuela en tu voz. la lengua, las raíces, la memoria son muy importantes. estás más próxima a tu abuela ahora. Lo siento mucho. Era una situación similar para mi. Mucho amor a ti ❤️
My heart goes out to you sweet soul 🩷🫂
🧢
My grandma has it but it's not that bad yet... Recently she's been asking about her parents and her husband (all dead before i was born)... Sometimes she even forgets about my mom who is her main caregiver (she talks about my mom to my mom, like she's talking about someone else). Lately I've been feeling so grateful when she calls me by my name, cuz soon that'll probably not happen anymore 😞
That happened to my grandfather, he'd talk about how proud he was of his son... to his son (my dad). He was always so surprised and happy to learn he had a granddaughter (I'm the eldest grandchild of his, I was age 28 at the time), but more often he would get terribly upset and distressed instead because he knew he was forgetting but not what he was forgetting. My parents and us children were not ever very close to him (and his witch of a wife) but it was still so sad to see his decline, and though he has always talked about dying but that was all he talked about in the last months.
By that point in the disease, it is better to not have her get upset all over again when learning of the passing of relatives.
Distract with something else .
My husband's paternal grandmother had Alzheimer's but she lived to 97 she had 13 children.
Take some videos of her saying your name, sweetheart. ❤
I recently lost my grandfather due to Parkinson’s. He also developed Parkinson’s Dementia due to the disease. All the symptoms in this video are true. But let me tell you, they never stop loving you. One day, he gestured to his head and said “I may not remember you here, but I’ll always remember you here” when gesturing to his heart. He couldn’t remember who I was to him. To him I could’ve been a mom, sister, aunt, daughter or friend, but he knew that I was family because I was someone he loved. Time breaks down our mind and bodies, but it never touches our soul.
The ending “Oh, I need to get my eyes checked” killed me. 😢 the defeat in the voice even though it’s just the creator acting out the symptoms hurt.
Even if it starts to seem like they're already gone, there is always a part of them still in there. My grandmother's got really bad before she went, but I would sit with her on the porch swing in the sun and drink hot chocolate, even if she didn't talk much. It was never my goal to make her remember me, just to provide a safe, loving environment for her and I was so honored to get to care for the person who cared for me when I was young
THANK you, I feel like there’s so much talk about how people with dementia are “husks of their former selves” and “barely alive” it’s so heartless, I can’t imagine people saying such things about someone they spend time with and really observe. In my experience with my own mom altzheimers primarily takes away your ability to communicate and to understand, but it doesn’t diminish one’s ability to feel or experience compassion. My mom is at a very late stage, can barely speak, but she still tries to help fold the laundry, push the other residents wheelchairs. She likes white noise. Listening to birds. She’s still a busybody.
Omg... 😭
@@outorii4659Sadly though - and I truly deeply hope your mom never reaches that point....but I worked on a mostly dementia unit in a nursing home for 3 years. with most of them they do have life in them you are right. But I've seen it get to a point where they are like living ghosts. They lose all ability to speak at all, they stop reacting when you speak, you touch their hand or gently put some hand cream on them as you talk to them but they don't even have the ability to turn their head or even move the gaze of their eyes to where you are. They make no sounds, they don't even move their own body anymore. All they do ( at least from what I could see on the outside) is, sleep for a while, wake up for a while and breath. if their bodily health is good they can live like this for years and years. In my heart, I really hope that they are living an "inner life" at that point - living in memories from the past or just taking in some part of something that is going on around them. I am not afraid to die. I believe in God and Heaven. What I am afraid of is being alive and getting Dementia. Unfortunately it runs in my family and several other conditions I have make the odds higher that I will get it. It scares me
You are a beautiful soul, thank you for giving her that.
Terminal lucidity.
When it happens, you know. They are gone but still alive. It's brutal. You fear you're next. Just an awful disease.
Why would you be next? Many people have alzheimers and their kids don't
@@katnip9280it has no genetic determination but you are more likely to develop it if a first parent or sibling did due to a similar environment which houses the causes of alzheimer’s. that is why people think it’s “genetic”
It feels like they are gone and a bad, diluted copy of them is using their body. My grandma is like a different person now.
@@FC-hj9ubThe fear of developing It too IS very real.
@@EmblaWanderer I'm sorry. That's terrible. 😢
PSA-- if your older loved one starts showing sudden signs of confusion, get them checked for a bladder infection asap.
my 91-yo grandma died from of an untreated bladder infection that got seriously out of control, caused sepsis, and moved very quickly.
Very important comment here.
This is indeed important because my mother also has had bladder issues in the past
💯!!! It laid my 74 year mother flat out (woke with her not moving on ground) and long ICU stay where the doctors thought of everything else but a basic urinary tract infection at first. Scrambled her brain and took her 2 weeks of rehab to start walking again. She complained of no prior symptoms before. She takes AZO everyday now in hopes to keep another one from occurring. More people need to be aware of UTIs in older adults!!
@heatherunicorn-sparkles1724 I'm so sorry to hear that! Sadly a somewhat common outcome. Just wish more folks knew
when someone with alzheimer’s forgets your name. it’s going to hurt but don’t remind them that youve already known each. if they saying “nice to meet you, i’m. ____” go along with it. i had to do this with my neighbor
Yeah, they never want to forget you so why make them feel bad? It won't help them remember next time anyway
My partner has Alzheimer's. He says the best thing about it is that you get to meet new people every day.
Yes, the kindest thing is to play along with them, not pull them up. I’ve heard people become very annoyed with their loved ones when they don’t remember or stuff up, sadly their already frustrated and confused 🤷♀️ Its frustrating for us, but we need to be kind, and think about all the good these people have done in their lives.
@@jolenejoleeene That’s so lovely, good luck to you both. 😊
Yes, I cried with my grandma not knowing my name!! 😢😭
If these symptoms come on suddenly, take your loved one to their primary physician. They should be checked for systemic infection, such as urinary tract infection or sepsis. These can mess with an elderly person's brain.
As a nurse, this is so important to check. Dementia never happens suddenly like that, it's almost always delirium - and delirium is life-threatening! Even in people who already have dementia, if their cognitive/behavioural symptoms suddenly get worse over a 24-48 hour period, it could also be delirium that they need to get checked out
@@ada5851 we knew grandpa had dementia. We were in the process of getting him assessed, but we knew. Me and mom came out to stay with him and his wife because we all knew once he got lost on his way home for 8+ hours without being aware of how long it had been or that he was lost. (thankful for the state trooper that eventually intervened and got ahold of his wife.) We knew what his symptoms were and how is new normal was. Over the course of one afternoon and evening, he suddenly had a rapid shift in affect, genuinely hallucinating, sudden slip in motor control. He was no longer slipping in and out of the present, he was obviously in an altered reality talking to cats who weren't there having a completely different day then we were. Losing speech and dexterity before my eyes.
I was the youngest person in the room. I'm a burned out dropout that shouldn't know more than my elders. But I remembered my other grandmother, a nurse, always had one of the FAST magnets on the fridge I'd read when getting water. His face was sagging, one arm was weaker than the other, his speech was altered, and we had already lost a lot of time by the time it all clicked for me. Neither my mom nor his wife had realized, I don't think they would have and that scares me still. I went upstairs, called 911, explained what I was seeing and the operator thanked me for calling, thanked me for taking it seriously, got people moving towards us immediately. I came downstairs and told the adults hey, y'all need to pack an overnight bag and grab phone chargers and meds, the paramedics are on the way, who's driving the follow car? And they were shocked and almost wanted to argue and I just shut that shit down. After all was said and done with exams and scans, they confirmed he'd had about 200 TIAs so far. The fact that he was able to function and mask for so long still blows my mind. The fact that no other adults around us noticed they were watching death still disturbs me.
Dementia might create new normals, but sudden changes are NOT normal even for dementia! Just because your loved one has dementia doesn't mean they can't have other crises! Don't let them get so sick just because they're less aware and able to communicate. If they're showing signs that would worry you in a non-dementia person, take them to the fucking doctor!
@@ada5851that's really important! Thanks for sharing
This comment needs to be pinned!! My mum and I have been full time carers for my 87 year old, bariatric, 40+ year diabetic grandma eince my grandad passed away 3 years ago.
The health complications are enourmous and infections are common, not to mention the grief process after losing a 60+ year husband and companion.
She has been on a betamorphine patch since stress fracturing her sacrum at the end of 2022 and spending 3 months in hospital. She shows multiple of these symptoms since.
She came out of hospital with more complications than she went in with.
Mum knows her mum incredibly well, and I've learnt over the years.
She has withdrawels from the betamorphine patch weekly (extremely sensitive to medications naturally) and constant infections. Majority of health care professionals look at her and assume she has lost her mind and treat her as such, but we know she's 100% compus mentus.
They did a mental capability test (not sure of the exact name but that's the jist) when she was in hospital at the start of the year. She got 99 out of 100, being extremely close to right on the one question she got wrong.
Mum and I know she's more "with it" than us the majority of the time. Yet somehow, we end up having to constantly defend her sanity to family and healthcare professionals. I can't imagine what would happen to her and other elderly people in these situations without appropriate advocates.
Seperate but related - my mums bestfriend put her step father in care at the start of the year, he is also diabetic, has cellulitus of the lower limbs and was on a betamorphine patch. They thought he had lost his mind, both family and healthcare professionals.
The cost of having him in private aged care in this country is enourmous, 5 siblings have to contribute $200pp each month to pay for his care.
Within a few months in the home they got him off the betamorphine patch.
He is completely normal mentally and after coming off the patch, the family realised that he did not need to be in care...
I really, really hope your comment gets pinned!!
Yup! It happened to a family member just this month. They do have some problems with mobility and putting their thoughts into words but over the course of a few days it got REALLY bad. They went to the hospital for testing and it turned out they had a mild UTI. After antibiotics, they were doing markedly better.
I work in home health and my client turned to me a couple days ago with tears in his eyes and said I'm not remembering things 😢😢it broke my heart
You probably already know, so sorry to be redundant. But just in case you don't.
There's a booklet/ pamphlet called Understanding the Dementia Experience that is written both for caretakers/ loved ones as well as patients. It's a loving, compassionate guide for people that know they're losing their memory and are scared. It speaks about new types of normals and where hope still grows.
I feel for both you and your patient. Thank you for providing compassionate and attentive care to vulnerable people.
👁
My grandma was cooking sausage… her pan was on, but it had no grease or sausage. She was so proud of herself telling us how she buys in bulk and cooks it and freezes it.
She used to do that. She doesn’t grocery shop for herself, or make food for herself anymore. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that there was nothing there. She was so happy. I couldn’t. I however did make sure the stove was off.
I learned in elderly care, let them have their happy memories and fantasies, ripping them out of it only hurts everyone, and breaks connections.
Let them have their happiness, because there is nothing more heartbreaking than when they get confused and cry and get angry out of fear because they can not remember, and they realise they can not do what they did before.
Let them dream, it will be easier for everyone around in the end.
That is so heartbreaking.. 😢 Imagining my own grandma in that situation makes me tear up. I’m glad she was happy though. Much love to you and yours. ❤
My grandpa was trying to fry peppers on the gas stove...w/o a pan. Just peppers on an open flame. He used to try to run away from home too. My parents had to lock up the house at all times.
Yep my gram got grumpy at me once for not handing her her coffee that wasn't actually there hahahaha it's sad for sure but it's also a part of life and just letting people be happy when it's this part of thier life is important.
@@janb.9046This reminded me of my Mexican friend who showed me that they do actually fry peppers over an open flame on the stove in order for the skin to peel off when a recipee requires it. Maybe this particular act didn’t come from Dementia after all.
I’m a server and this lady was literally speaking gibberish to me and her husband was telling me what she wanted. By the end she was trying to say she wanted a box and I basically understood her and she looked excited! My heart goes out to her and her husband.
My grandma has that. Last week she almost had a panic attack because she forgot where she was and that she doesn't know where Joy (me) is. I asked her how old is she and she said 2 years old. I quickly calmed her down and sat her down gave her some water and talked with her. I introduced myself as Mia, neighbour's daughter that came to visit her. I had to lie or else she'll start yelling and might even faint because of her other health issues. After a couple of minutes, she came back to her senses and praised me how I handled everything perfectly, all alone.
That's a tough situation and you really thought on your feet. One of the worst things you can do for someone with this kind of memory loss is try and correct them. Good job
@hannahfey9718 absolutely. And if you see people doing the corrections, gently suggest they roll with the person's line of reasoning. I see several accounts on social media with "correctors". I think they would be exhausted. If you wait the issue is over in a couple of minutes.
@@brendar9363I hate when people say it’s cruel to lie to people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. They literally can’t comprehend reality in this state, and trying to correct them on what they’re saying only confuses them and stresses them further. Don’t lie to them about everything of course, but when they’re panicked and scared, it’s the best and most gentle thing to do
@@madokami03 I can only imagine waking up in a bed I don't recognize and getting up, only to see a strange man in the kitchen who insists he's my husband even though I've never been married. It would be extremely upsetting to have him insist I'm wrong, and I just don't remember because I'm not well, that we've been husband and wife for 20 years and I should recognize him, etc.
My dad had sun downers dementia. He was in the hospital and I was staying with him. One evening when he was a little confused he asked me if I saw the flying chickens. We were on the 5th floor of the hospital. I just went with it. Asked him what they looked like because I missed them. He gave me a complete description of them. We sat on his bed together. I will take calm confusion over him getting agitated and aggressive. Another time the nurse was late with his night meds because he had 2 new patients come on the floor who were in really bad shape. The nurse apologized. Dad refused to take his meds. And the nurse didn't want to upset him. He told me we are not supposed to do this, but can you convince him to take his meds. I took the container of pills, stared at them for a bit then it came to me. I looked at the pills again, counted them and looked at dad. I told dad that mom had counted his pills before she gave them to the nurse and they are all there. Dad took the pills, said ok and swallowed them. The nurse gave me a high 5. Dad trusted mom implicitly. Thank God he did. Mom and dad are both in heaven.
From my experience, there’s signs much sooner than the obvious memory ones.. changes in behavior was the first one I noticed in my mom.. she wasn’t content doing the things she would normally do. She would get bored easy and didn’t know what to do with herself. She wouldn’t want to be alone. Yes, occasionally she would repeat a story or misplace something, but I for sure noticed other changes first that at the time, I did not realize were part of the disease. She stopped showering as frequent and stopped being her usual tidy self. Just did very random things like use her hand to get cereal instead of pouring it how she normally would. She even stopped drinking coffee. There is a lot more to Alzheimer’s than what they show on tv. It’s a much worse and sometimes very dark disease. I despise it with a passion and pray for everyone who has to watch closely a loved one go through it. Props to all the 24/7 care givers to this disease. My heart is with you all.
less frequent showering can be a mobility issue. my cousin noticed grandpa wasnt showering and it turned out to be it was because he couldnt get over the edge of the tub. replaced it with a walk in shower and problem solved. fortunately grandpa stayed sharp and aware his whole life. I realize what a blessing God gave us in that.
@@tbonejenkins8807 thats a great observation! I’m glad it turned out to be something you guys were able to find a solution for 😊 I don’t believe it was a mobility issue for my mom, she was actually only 66 when it started, and she was in good physical shape. In the beginning stages, I kind of just thought she was getting older and didn’t need to shower everyday like she used to. Didn’t think much of it at the time, but when it started getting worse, I was able to see that the shower was confusing and frustrating for her. So of course I helped her out
My mom was diagnosed last year at 65yo but had been showing signs in her short term memory for at least 5 years. She's not as bad as in this video but I'm not looking forward it and how it may exacerbate the negative parts of her personality
@@olivia7977 I’m so sorry to hear that. It’s a very hard disease to watch. I hope they can find a better treatment for it soon. I hope you have a strong support system. My thoughts and prayers are with you both 💜 stay strong
@@olivia7977please look into lions mane. It’s a mushroom that helps eliminate the plaque build up on the neurones of the brain. And good gut health is vital. Look into the carnivore diet for her. Keep faith that things can be reversed or stopped or at least slowed down.
It's so important to remind them that it isn't bad or a problem. I had a half a year of fogginess and memory issues and I was so frustrated and upset with myself. My mom would ask me to do something, I'd say okay, then just wander off like she never even spoke to me. I'd reach into hot ovens and boiling water with my bare hands, I'd take a shower an hour or so after already taking one, I'd leave the dogs outside... it was insane. It took the understanding, patience, and a lot of help from my mom to get through it.
I know you can't recover from alzheimer's, but they deserve to be at peace with what time they have left
May I ask what happened to you, for you to go through something like that?
There seems to be a new treatment for it that would cure it or help with it way more than the previous treatments. It's not available yet and I can't remember what it is but there is hope.
What caused your brain fog? I have the same due to fibromyalgia and it’ll never go away. But it’s normal for me so I just laugh about it and ask for family to give me reminders if I don’t follow through.
I feel ya. Already had memory issues due to chronic fatigue/inflammation then got long covid. Couldn't even remember the beginning of sentences - mine, or my partner's. Three years later and a lot of lifestyle changes, i'm almost back to normal. I was pretty patient of people's issues before but even more so now I know what it's like from the inside. Biggest things that helped was quitting all sugars, ssris, and walking/strength exercises whenever I was able to.
I m 45, generally scatter brained (i suspect undiagnosed adhd). I struggle with daily chores, remembering conversations and i often forget i was saying mid sentence.
Have forgotten y i walked into a room and also went in the kitchen during parties to get something for a guest and forgot all about it. 😭
Also facial recognition is another issue with dementia and Alzheimer's. My grandma had it. Yet she remembered how to play crazy difficult song arrangements on the piano from memory, because she grew up a pianist. Glad she never lost her love or memory of that. 💜
Music is the last thing in humans to be forgotten.
@@itypewrite3422 I've heard that. And seen it bring back so many memories for people with Alzheimer's/dementia. It's truly amazing to see, and a little comforting during all the other things going on w/ the disease progression.
We found out ‘somethings up w Dad’ when I went on the most terrifying car ride w him. He’s a really cranky, spends a lot of time in his study by himself and drove himself everywhere. He did the shopping w a list from my Mum and I have my own car so wasn’t until I needed a ride that I was like Holy Shit! Creating his own lane next to a huge truck in heavy traffic…..literally saw my life flash before my eyes. That’s when we took him to his Dr and learned how truly far it had progressed before we even knew it was an issue.
I learned something very very important about working with people who have dementia in any way, shape or form.
Don’t try to force your dementia patient into your world it ends up, frustrating them which ends up, frustrating you, and that’s not gonna be a good time together to maximize the time together try to enter into their world.
The other thing that I learned is that if you can bring in anything from their teenagers to their 30s, whether it be the type of toaster, they had a type of radio they had the music they were listening to the TV programs that they were listening to if you can find photographs of art that was on their walls and replicate that that helps them tremendously. It helps them stay in a good space.
Virtual hugs for anybody suffering from this disease, and for their loved ones
Thank you for these tips.❤
Sadly my step mother has forbidden us kids y Dads children) from visiting. Even calling the police on us saying we were trying to kidnap him (cause I wanted him there for my twins celebration of life) she HATES HE has gotten to a point of forgetting her and her children and only asks about our mother and US kids.
@@lorireed8046You guys should start recording her activities and then call Adult Protective Services.
Also make sure that your names are in the emergency contact lists and that his will hasn't been tampered with. It's common for spouses to have wills edited when life turns "bad", especially when the patient cannot properly give concent anymore. 😊
@@lorireed8046that is downright cruel to rob you of what little time you guys still have with him.
Remember regression…
Around 2018, three years before she died, the doctor ask my mom how old she was.
I snickered to myself with her response, “52”… I was 53 - and that was a miracle, that I was older than my mom!
Still, it gave me perspective into her thinking, that I later used to question my dad in a conversation about an activity for high school students that he wanted to attend. I had to walk him through many patient questions before he was willing to graciously accept that it wasn’t an appropriate activity for him (vascular dementia and Parkinson’s).
I had a pt who completely forgot how to speak English and reverted back to speaking his native German which he hadn't spoken since he was a child according to his family.
Ditto. My grandma was an immigrant from Hungary whose native language was German at home. She also picked up Hungarian and a few other European languages before English. She remembered German and Hungarian toward the end. I was blessed to know enough German to be able to speak to her.
That happens a lot.
my grandma suffered with this before she passed. she forgot my name and my dads name (her son) as well as she kept asking all of us where her mom was (her mom passed before I was even born) and reverting back to childhood age behaviour. It’s a heart breaking experience. She passed last year and although she didn’t remember anyone or who she even was anymore, I miss her very much.
my great grandmother was the same. She'd forget me and my brother existed and every time we'd visit she'd think we're some guests she doesnt know, or relatives who've passed away long ago (she'd think i'm her sister, or cousin, or niece....all those people were either dead or 80+ year old and I was in my late teens)
Bless....her mind may have forgotten you but her soul will remember ❤💫👣
Also important to remember that not all dementia cases are alzheimers!
This is so sad 🥺. I’m scared to see this with my mom.
Don’t worry, it doesn’t happen to everyone. Most people don’t suffer from this when they get old
Me too. My mom already has memory issues
@@WhoamI-ml6djIDK about OP, but it runs in my family. The women in my mom’s side of the family have developed dementia for generations.
I saw it in my babcia when I was young and I’ve been petrified of it happening to my mom ever since. And… Sometimes when I disassociate or whatever, when I’m not sure if I’m really awake or not, I’ll wonder if I’m actually 80 and living a memory as a delusion. I live with the occasional thought that what I think I’m experiencing right now could actually be a long past time with most of my real life out of my own grasp.
@@Dreamscape195If you feel concerned, do go to a doctor and reach out for your local dementia/alzhaimers association so you can learn more about possible preventative measures. 😊
@@Dreamscape195That's deep 👀
I work in a nursing home and I see Alzheimer’s in every state of progression. It’s a terrifying disease. The best thing you can do is get them professional help. It’s unpredictable and comes with so many different factors.
Can it come in spurts? Like doing everything in the video, but then after a nap or half a day they're normal, and it just keeps happening at least once a day?
@@nicolet6216 yes, it’s possible
@@Riivorn thanks for your reply, I sincerely appreciate it
@@nicolet6216 if you’re asking for yourself or someone you know I suggest seeing a professional. They’ll be able to help you or your loved one understand what’s going on better and how to move forward from there. It could also possibly be something else, although I’m not especially knowledgeable. I’m just a CNA haha, wiping butts and stuff 😂
@@Riivornnot "just" a CNA... your probably just as knowledgeable as the higher up nurses.. especially with certain illnesses.. youre ESSENTIAL to health care and all those ladies and men in the nursing homes .. hospitals ❤
Sending a hug to everyone else experiencing seeing their loved one go trough this
Prayers sent to anyone dealing with this or a lived one going through this
I'm back home right now to visit my grandma with Alzheimer's, and it just breaks my heart. I come back to my hotel room emotionally drained and crying. I just want my grandma back...
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I took care of my mom for years and she passed.. Don't correct them or get mad.. just love them and enjoy them for as long as you have them. You will thank yourself and it will make your time together so much better
My grandma had Alzheimer's. It's unbelievably hard and sad to see them go, just fade away... I can only imagine how difficult it was for her at the beginning feeling herself slip away. Fragment by fragment this disease just chips away a person's whole identity and life, it's truly devastating. Remember to cherish your loved ones always❤
Please spend time with the person who might be passing away or having Alzheimer's. You don't know how quickly it's coming and it sucks when you realize that they don't remember you anymore and they won't remember the memories you've made. But when you can make memories while they remember you, it is the most amazing thing ever. And even after they can't remember you, you can remember that and you can love them and support them and make them realize that they still have family.
I don't remember faces.. sometimes words/vocabulary while speaking.. I forget tasks..
And nobody takes me seriously not even doctor. Everyone says that i am lazy and don't pay enough attention.
You need to see another doctor, and explain to them that you are worried you many have a memory disorder. Keep pushing if they blow you off, and ask that they give you, in writing, that they refuse to do proper testing for memory problems. Usually, that scares them into actually doing their jobs.
Also, know that what you mentioned are the symptoms of a wide variety of disabilities and disorders, so don’t be surprised if you thought it was Alzheimer’s and it ends up as something different. I, for example, experience a lot of these problems as a result of ADHD complications. You should definitely advocate for yourself though. Never accept anything less than adequate care - sincerely, a disabled person that doctors love to ignore.
@@spiritedaway0tutu thanks i ll try with different doctors now
You know you better than anyone and if something feels off, it is off. You'll find a doctor who is willing to go the extra mile cuz he/she is all about patient care. All the best
I'm really sorry your going through this. Please don't give up
@@colb9260just say they
This is why we need community.
My cousins grandma is the world to me and she is the sweetest! She has this condition, but one day it really scared us when she started crying and didn’t know why she was alive where she was and who we were. We asked the doctor and they said that this is what happens when you get old. The doctor said she didn’t have long to live and it all left us heart broken. Every time we go over there we make sure she gets lots of love. She always tells us in urthu, “live a long life” and we start crying because she knows she is going to die soon too😭
As the first in my family to recognize my dad's Alzheimer's....I felt this to my core 😢
My grandfather had dementia due to brain tumors. My dad and all us kids have never been close but it was surprisingly pretty difficult to see him not recognise my dad or his other children. He did talk about my dad's mum a lot, though, and forgot he remarried (an evil stepmother!!) after she died, and remembered her and his brother. It was very strange hearing him talk about his older brother and say "I have a son called Alan we named after him... I think he's still away studying", whilst talking to the same son, Alan. He was always so upset when we gently told him who we were and he'd sometimes cry. It was heartbreaking, especially for my dad, to see a previously very intelligent man reduced to such, and especially since we saw the same thing happen to his older brother a few years earlier (who was more of a grandfather to me than my real grandfather, honestly). I'm terrified this will happen to someone I love.
Precious one, investigate how eating highly refined carbs contributes to the denentias.
My ADHD causes a lot of these symptoms as well. It's going to be a treat when I'm much older 🙌🏼
Rhodiola Rosea (Arctic root).
Supplements can be a crutch but the best thing I ever did for adhd was quit sugars. Sugar gives you a massive dopamine hit and it was completely messing with my already fragile motivation and memory. When i'm sugar-free I can actually function more or less like a non-adhd person (but I keep the creativity and humour, so win).
honestly it makes the thought of getting it almost a bit less scary to me, because im already used to forgetting stuff and making 'dumb' mistakes, (not that alzheimers isnt way worse, but at least it makes the thought of it even just a little less bad)
Yes but it’s very very different
My Nena has Alzheimer's and she's had all of these symptoms it's really heartbreaking to hear she doesn't remember us but I know it's not her fault she can't be left alone or she might injure herself and her children my aunties and uncles when they take care of her they really struggle and it's really difficult i hope that she is able to be at peace soon and not confused anymore at daily tasks I mean I don't want her to die but I feel like she would be more at peace
This is actually very normal for caregivers
It is okay to feel relief when your suffering relative passes away and it doesn't mean you don't love them or wish they were still with you. It's just part of the caregiving process because it really does take such a big toll on the people who love and care for them
I have the same concerns about my father. My grandfather died of Alzheimer's, and he is definitely showing some signs. Getting the doctor's to check it out, or getting him to admit he is having problems is the hard part
Alzheimer's is so incredibly sad, to all the people and their family members afflicted with it I truly hope you're doing okay ❤
So heart breaking. My sister and I and our respective husbands are really starting to worry about our mom. Her memory is really slipping. We're trying to work out ways right now that she'll no longer live alone, but still have her independence as long as possible. My husband and I are working hard to be able to get a house with a mother in law suite for her.
the utter pain, realization, and sadness that was able to be conveyed everytime you turned into the mom had me taken aback-its so hard when loved ones fall ill to this disease, but i can only *imagine* how complicated and difficult it is for *them*
So kind of you to share your ways of remembering everything and helping people learn and be great nurses🥰
this made my teary eyed. i wish i could have spent more time with them before they fell into this state.
My grandmother has FLD and the covering up is a big thing. At times I feel frustrated but I know she must too or she wouldn't be deflecting. Her memory isn't awful but her mood and behavior can get rough.
This is such a sad thing. My grandma had this. My love and prayers to all
My grandmother had it and she died recently. She showed all of these symptoms. At the end she was always asking for her late husband or her late parents and it was quite heartbreaking to witness..I miss her.
I read that with patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia, if the patient isn’t rooted in our current time, meet them in theirs. No need to disrupt their serenity. Why must we distress them and uproot them to our reality? obviously if they’re distressed about a “missing”family member, redirection is probably best…just stop stressing out these confused folks :(
I agree❤
My mom was a single mother, but I became her mom when I was 15.
This is just the most heartbreaking illness. You lose them way before they physically pass.
I'm always worried I'll miss the signs for someone in my family, as we experience some of the less extreme symptoms like memory loss and issues with speaking/remembering words since we're ADHD.
Honey you won't miss the signs for long because it can progress very quickly and there is no mistaking what it is. You will know when they ask you the same questions fifty times a day sometimes several times in a few seconds. They can become very compulsive about possessions or even things they are worried about. There are so many behaviors that play into that disease but you will know.
I'm worried my grandma may have Alzheimers. She's been forgetting things for years but she was visiting us for dinner yesterday and completely forgot her way home. She's come over hundreds of times, so it was scary when she had to ask where to go.
She had a hard time recognizing smells, tastes, and other things as well. There was a lot of things I could remember of her with these symptoms. I just hope she'll be okay. She was never the best of people, but I don't want her to be in any more pain than she already is.
Take her to the doctor!!!
@@Avenoir333 She won't let us! A lot of the time she doesn't recognize what's happening, so when we talk about bringing her to a doctor or getting a nurse to care for her, she shuts it down immediately. She wouldn't go even if we made the appointment.
My grandpa also got a severe paranoia in the early stages. He suddenly didn’t trust his wife and secretly tried to buy a whole separate house “just in case”!
Alzheimer’s is such a horrible disease. My great grandmother had it. At first she started forgetting my younger cousins names, then mine and my brother’s name, and even my dad’s name. She used to call everyone Frankie (her son/my grandfather’s name). She passed early this year. We all miss her so much. But she lived a long, happy life. She lived almost to 90, and it was her time. She had been living with my grandparents for 8 or 9 years.
Sorry for the sob story. I try to think about her and be happy that she lived a long life, instead of sad that she is gone now.
My friend and i nursed the young at heart for many years ,.alzheimer's is heartbreaking..We are almost 62..knowing it can appear at any age ..My friend was diagnosed with alzheimer's last year..and with breast cancer ..Her family say she kept the cancer to her self ..I truly believe the onset of alzheimer's had a lot to do with it..Shed forget things ,put things in the wrong place a long time ago😢
This is so important. Research has come a long way. As of right now, there isn't a cure. There are medications that can slow down the plaque processes.
Wow this was heartbreaking to watch. With those of y'all who have family members like this, my deepest condolences to you. 😢🙏
My friend is like this 😢 but at least she hasn't forgotten that we are great friends.
Its completely heartbreaking 💔
My grandad has diagnosed dementia but my grandmother was showing signs of alzhiemers before passing (one example is her telling me I can't have salt on something bc it'd make me sneeze bc she got salt and pepper mixed up. It wasn't a quick comment either it was a 5min conversation)
Went through this with my grandpa, and I regret not seeing him in his last years. Had some heartbreaking phone calls too. 💔
This disease sucks so bad. No one should spend a life time building families & memories just to 4get them. & no one should have to walk into a room & have their loved one have no idea who they u r. It's slow & heartbreaking & pray for anyone goin thru it.
I have ADHD, I occasionally have those, if I get alzhimers I feel sorry for anyone that knows me 😭 cuz in the beginning it's going to be hard to figure out what the hell is happening!
I was thinking that same thing. I have some of these issues (mildly) now, and I def don't have Alzheimers.
I have ADHD too and hard same. Alzheimer's runs in my family so rip to me I guess
I was literally just sitting here thinking it's scary how much I related to this at 25, but then I remembered my ADHD causes a lot of these for me
Same tbh
I’m beginning to recognize my own mind “missing or skipping thoughts” when no one else will acknowledge it. They’ve noticed mood changes though. I began therapy immediately. (Made me curious if some of the older “KAREN”-types may have this common problem. ). Illness and injuries makes it worse, another known fact as you age.
I was incredibly honored to be one of the few people my great grandmother remembered before she passed away. The situation of me joining the family was extremely messy and she was one of the major supporters of my grandparents getting custody of me. She remembered her husband, her sons and their wives, and me. She didn't even recognize the grandchild she spent 5 years raising but she remembered me.
My mom took a picture of my dad in his 20's and said, "Wasn't my dad handsome?". My dad gently corrected her and said, "That was me back in the 50's" and she got SOOO upset. I wish he just agreed with her. It was so hard seeing her get so upset.
Did she have any pictures of her daddy? Sometimes that can help.
By this I’ve had Alzheimer’s my whole life 😅😅
My grandma had dementia and she was incredibly skilled at covering it up. It tugged at my heartstrings at the same time as it was a fascinating revelation about one facet of the human condition. She used her charm to glide through the places in conversation where her lack of memory and/or wherewithal might have stalled the flow. I always, always let it go. You must keep talking to them and not call them out, it’s useless and hurtful. They do begin to live in a different reality which I personally view as a bridge to heaven. God bless my grandma and all elderly who go through this. They deserve engaging conversations and the greatest love we can muster.
I knew my mum had it and family, doctors and other professionals thought it was depression.
It took her trying to hurt herself to get looked at properly.
No one YET has had the courage to admit I was right.
I looked after folk with it from 14.
Thankfully she's been caught early.
It's heart breaking watching someone you love go through this.
Thank you for spreading awareness, I never realized that Alzheimer's is more than just 'memory loss', and being sometimes moody or frustrated because of the memory loss.
Sweetie- you have given a lot of those who are not knowledgeable in medical terminology a great shortcut to help remember and recognize what issues may be happening with their loved ones. Awesome little video!! 💜
I can’t and don’t want to imagine how utterly heartbreakingly it must be to see your loved ones go through this. The fear that one day they’ll look at you and ask you who you are must be horrific. What a cruel, cruel disease.
You can’t imagine. It is terrifying and heartbreaking ❤️🩹 😢
I hope you don’t have to ever experience this with a loved one. Alzheimer’s with dementia took my grandma and it still breaks my heart-she would ask for my grandpa, her husband “Clyde” all the time. He passed from ALS in 93’ (another terrible thing to watch a person suffer from.) WW2 vet literally made it back home (thankfully) only to get ALS years later and pass away quickly but it was agonizing to watch and I can’t imagine how he felt. They were married for over 50 years.
My mom has Parkinson’s Disease.
I am terrified to watch her go through that knowing that there isn’t anything I can do to stop it! 😢
This is very informative & kind of you to post these signs of such a devastating affliction that affects everyone involved.
Thank You. 💔💔💔
With my parents getting older the thought of this is absolutely heart breaking
I love that you provided pneumonic devices for us to better remember these terms!!! Well done 😊
Thank you for this explaining what many of our families go through. On point. Bless you. ❣️
My dad got dementia.
He lived out of state over 6 hours away. I visited him once or twice a month. I would always bring him a stuffed animal when i visited. He never remembered my name or who i was, but his face lit up when he saw what i brought.
He would be so silent and stare off into the blue. I brought him CDs of a lot of the old music he listened to. He would remain quiet until i intentionally sang the songs wrong. He would pep up and correct me.
It really hurts when they dont remember you or your name.
Make the most of any time you have with them. A lot of times, they just stop talking so talk to them while they can still communicate.
And remember to be empathetic and patient. Even though they may seem "lost", they have feelings.
Watching this disease progress in my grandfather was gut wrenching. When I was a kid it was hidden, even I became an adult my grandma and parents would make excuses. It wasn’t until I was older I knew and understood. I’d never wish Alzheimer’s on my worst enemy.
Keep these episodes going. If it helps just one person we all win.
Great post. It's really helpful to see specific examples to differentiate normal forgetfulness issues from Alzheimer's.
Geez....
This video just broke my heart cause I watched Both My Grandfathers go through this....
Unless youve been through it people dont understand how hard watching a loved one fade away with this disease is....
For me the hardest part was when they got to the level where I was "Forgotten"....
It wasnt that they forgot I was Family because the resemblances are so strong in my Family you Cant Deny were are related....
It was the having to be Someone Else because they no longer could access the memory that I was their Grandbaby.
I was a daughter, sister, and mom at some point or another....But sometimes....Sometimes a nerve got fired off and theyd remember me clearly....I cherished those fleeting moments....Cause I knew that they hadnt TRULY Forgotten Me....The disease just blocked them from remembering clearly.
Anyone whos dealing with a loved one with this;
Dont think youre "Forgotten"....Youre not.
They just cant access the memory....
But its still there....Just trapped.
They still love you.
They still need you.
And in their heart they do know who you are.
A father of a friend of mine has been diagnosed with Alzheimers and he’s only 52. It’s heartbreaking to slowly lose someone while their still alive.
My mother slightly shows these signs, but her MS affects her cognitive response to everyday things. Conversation takes a little more effort, I’m mindful to let her take her time collecting her thoughts(don’t rush her decision making process), and I try to stay consistent with common tasks; choosing what to eat, what time her nurses come by etc. Its difficult at times, but I try to let feel like she’s still in full control of herself. It’s an unsettling feeling when you know you’re losing yourself.
I've been through all this with my dad. He passed away in 2013. It is a long tearful journey. You need to be so patient with them as it progresses.
Aw man my heart goes out to anyone who has a family member with this type of illness. There's a term "ambiguous grief" that means grieving the loss of a loved one who is still alive. It can happen when someone has a loved one who is lost in addiction or the onset of severe mental illness. It also happens when Alzheimer's and dementia, or any other neurodegenerative disease. Physically, the they're still with you. But mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, it feels like they're already gone or slowly slipping away. Stay strong everyone. You've got this.
I had to watch my grandma go thru this, my grandpa had ALS and my mom has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
My heart is beyond broken.
I didn’t know what the term was called but this is exactly how I’ve felt.
I know exactly what you are talking about .
I'm sad at the fact my grandma passed but I am very grateful that she didn't get terribly bad before. Definitely had moments that weren't the best but it still wasn't the worst.
I have grandparents who are suffering from Alzheimer’s and this video made me very emotional, I’ve grown up with them never knowing who I am
The most heart-breaking thing that can happen to a person in my opinion. I know from my own mental disorders that whatever disordered action is happening externally, it's always way worse and much scarier internally. I can't imagine the fear of losing yourself, losing your mind. And especially in the earlier stages when you are still lucid enough to know it's happening.
I've lost a few relatives who had dementia or Alzheimer's, and it's awful. I'm not religious but i hope somewhere out there, they've found peace.
This brings back memories of my mom and sister and what they went through. This is such a cruel disease
My grandma used to call us and leave messages on the answering machine that would say "she forgot our number again" 😭😭😭 god i miss her
This is so incredibly heartbreaking 😔
My grandmother died a few years ago from alzheimer's. When she was still fairly lucid she would fiddle with small objects or bits of paper for hours at a time or claim she could see ants all over the table in front of her. She'd also sometimes ask us to let her use the phone so she could call her sister, who had been dead for several years by that point.
Miss you grandma, wish I could have your homemade apple jelly one more time.
Thanks for this, my dad's family has history of alzheimers, now I know things to look for 💜
Such a cruel disease. My heart goes out to anyone dealing with this and their families. Stay strong.
My dad has Parkinsons and is also just gut wrenching. Heart breaking.
My mom has Parkinson’s too. I’m sorry you also have a loved one, your dad who also has this cruel disease as well. It’s like a car wreck I know what’s coming, where I’m at and I’m screaming the whole way, trying to slam the brakes, stop this, save my mom from this. But all I can do is…nothing (other than what is medically offered and there isn’t much). And that’s devastating to me.
@Jillybean0621 I have been daddy's girl from day 1.
My dad was always a very big strong take no bs kind of man
Seeing him become weaker and have such a hard time doing things. Getting forgetful. Losing his sense of days and times.
Is absolutely gut-wrenching
Having trouble with his speech some days. Just writing this out . Thinking about what all could be ahead of us. You can't describe thus kind of ache.
The hardest part I know he knows what could happen.
I can see it in his eyes and I can't do anything for him. I can't stop this monster from taking everything from him. Thank you for sharing. It's just me I don't have any siblings to go through it with. So it is just something I do and go through without stopping too long to think I wish your mom peace and comfort, it's all we can do. I'm here to make whatever time we have making him smile and laugh.
Yes. It's really sad to witness a loved one go through this. My Mother is showing those signs as well.
It was devastating to watch my grandmother go through this. I actually developed a deep fear of getting Alzheimer's because of watching her.
My step grandad as Alzheimer's and i saw him and my nan today for the first time face to face in about 4 years, but he was still so happy!
My grandpa died a little over a year ago. He had Dementia and metastatic cancer, but my family didn’t want to do any testing for Alzheimer’s as to them it didn’t matter. Grandpa was a tough-it-out kinda guy, a man of very few (but always meaningful) words, and a veteran with many amazing stories.
Him and my grandma were tied at the hip. She took care of him his whole life and they never fought. Once he passed, she didn’t know what to do with herself. I saw her slowly deteriorate. Now she has most of the signs shown in the video and the same as what Grandpa had, but the whole family keeps blowing it off as nothing. I think they’re all just in denial and don’t wanna go through that trauma again, but it’s not helping her. She’ll not recognize her own family on a picture or think i’m my cousin and the family will be all “oh mom, you knew that, cmon.” I’m gentle and understanding with her, though. I wish they’d acknowledge what’s going on because the way they act towards her is everything that I’ve read what NOT to do.
My mom was always going to High School. I was told they hold on to the time she was the happiest. She loved knowledge and was the smartest person I knew. Miss Her advice (She loved to give it😂) ❤ you mama
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I've been caregiving for my Mother with Alzheimers for just over a year now and it's truly one of the toughest things I've ever done... I'm thankful to get this time with her, but I miss my mom, too.
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I love the smelling the egg to “see if it’s ripe.”
My grandma had dementia. It’s such an awful disease, you really need to find humour and joy in the moments you can