Injuries but no memory

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
My Dad is 94, has Lymphoma as well as Altzheimers and Vascular Dementia. He is injuring his feet at night, bleeding on carpets and bedding but has no memory of how this happened or of any pain. His feet show bruises and scabs. He has normal sensation in his feet. Has anyone come across this lack of memory for injuries?
 

nellbelles

Volunteer Host
Nov 6, 2008
9,842
0
leicester
Hello @Glassbird welcome to DTP.

I don’t think it’s uncommon my husband would sometimes comment on some minor injury that was sore but had no recollection of how he had acquired it. I hope the injuries are minor?

Now you have found the forum I hope you will continue to post for support and to share your experiences.
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
865
0
Hi @Glassbird unfortunately this poor short term memory of anything is pretty typical of Alzheimer's. Both people I look after struggle to know how they have injured themselves and they also cannot remember how long something has been there or if it is improving or not. Mum ended up with surgery for skin cancer and she could not give anyone a clear history about when and how it first showed.
 

Moggymad

Registered User
May 12, 2017
1,314
0
Does your dad live alone? Just wondering if he is going outside in bare feet. My mum had lots of bruises on her legs which she couldn't remember getting.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
Hi @Glassbird unfortunately this poor short term memory of anything is pretty typical of Alzheimer's. Both people I look after struggle to know how they have injured themselves and they also cannot remember how long something has been there or if it is improving or not. Mum ended up with surgery for skin cancer and she could not give anyone a clear history about when and how it first showed.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
Thanks for responding.I ‘ve been caring for Dad for a couple of years and this is the first incidence of him not knowing how he has injured himself. He fell and broke ribs during winter and recalled that perfectly. This absence of pain memory is new. I suppose the path is slightly different for all sufferers even if in general terms, it is similar.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
Hello @Glassbird welcome to DTP.

I don’t think it’s uncommon my husband would sometimes comment on some minor injury that was sore but had no recollection of how he had acquired it. I hope the injuries are minor?

Now you have found the forum I hope you will continue to post for support and to share your experiences.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
That is very helpful, thank you. Dad keeps hurting his feet at night,I can’t see anything he could step on, but possibly his is walking into door frames . Certainly, he is slowly losing his past, living almost entirely in the moment. He is pretty content as a consequence, which is a blessing. Luckily he lives a short walk away, so I can keep a close eye on him. I hope it will be possible to give him his wish to stay in his own home, but that will depend on how ill he gets. It feels very odd and somehow wrong, to be considering his future knowing that if he becomes much sicker, his wishes will have to be ignored in order to keep him safe.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
Dad lives alone but very near us. I hadn’t considered that he might have gone outside, but I doubt that. The blood is all in the bedroom or bathroom.He is confused about how many times this has happened and hasn’t looked at his feet to see what has happened.His main concern is the blood on his carpet! Which seems very odd. I always get it clean, so I know this is repeating, although he thinks the blood he sees is because I didn’t do a good job!
 

phill

Registered User
Aug 8, 2007
27
0
It’s a long shot, but people with dementia sometimes put things in very odd places “for safekeeping “. Have you checked inside his socks and footwear to see whether he’s been putting something inside them which is causing his injuries?
 

Linbrusco

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
1,694
0
Auckland...... New Zealand
Both my parents passed away recently, Mum had Alzheimers, Dad mixed dementia.

My Mums dementia diagnosis came soon after us seeing burns on her hands, which she obviously got when cooking but she had no recollection of how or when. They increased in frequency, then Dad took over the cooking with me making ready meals also.

My Dad majorly burnt his hand filling up a hot water bottle straight from the boiled kettle. He sat there at best guess 6 hrs without alerting anyone. It would have been very painful, but he would not admit it. We got 3 different versions of a story, the Dr got another.
Dad had another incident with fleas in his bed ( long story) He had massive flea bites all under his arms but did not think to tell us nor equate the fleas in his bed with his itchy sore skin.

Are your Dads feet scratches or cuts? Just on the soles or several areas?
 

Thethirdmrsc

Registered User
Apr 4, 2018
744
0
My husband got his leg caught on something last week, but didn’t tell me until it had scabbed and was starting to get painful, and infected. It’s taken a week before I got antibiotics for it. No idea what happened.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Yesterday OH woke me up by going to the bathroom at 3.00am. When I went to check up on him I found him looking like something out of a hammer horror movie, absolutely covered in blood. I eventually discovered a cut on his cheek which was bleeding profusely and judging by the state of his bed, had been for some time. He could not remember what had happened and I have no idea. He ended up in A&E. Its sorted now, but I still have no idea how it happened.

I guess you will have to go on a detective hunt to try and work out what your dad is catching his feet on.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
Yesterday OH woke me up by going to the bathroom at 3.00am. When I went to check up on him I found him looking like something out of a hammer horror movie, absolutely covered in blood. I eventually discovered a cut on his cheek which was bleeding profusely and judging by the state of his bed, had been for some time. He could not remember what had happened and I have no idea. He ended up in A&E. Its sorted now, but I still have no idea how it happened.

I guess you will have to go on a detective hunt to try and work out what your dad is catching his feet on.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
This sounds so familiar. I'm going to go through the house later today and see if I can find anything that might be an obvious cause for these injuries. It's so hard to get any understanding from Dad as to what is happening. On the plus side though, he is very happy in himself, I suppose, like a young child, with no past, no future to fret about, he just lives in the moment. Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I'm finding this forum such a huge comfort, just knowing that others have confronting the same issues makes me feel less alone.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
It’s a long shot, but people with dementia sometimes put things in very odd places “for safekeeping “. Have you checked inside his socks and footwear to see whether he’s been putting something inside them which is causing his injuries?
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
I will look into that today, although, looking at the injuries, it's hard to avoid the thought tha the is perhaps going into the cellar in bare feet. I will check everything I can think of. Thank you so much for your message.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
Yesterday OH woke me up by going to the bathroom at 3.00am. When I went to check up on him I found him looking like something out of a hammer horror movie, absolutely covered in blood. I eventually discovered a cut on his cheek which was bleeding profusely and judging by the state of his bed, had been for some time. He could not remember what had happened and I have no idea. He ended up in A&E. Its sorted now, but I still have no idea how it happened.

I guess you will have to go on a detective hunt to try and work out what your dad is catching his feet on.
 

Glassbird

Registered User
Jul 19, 2021
13
0
Yes, you are quite right, I'm getting used to asking a lot of questions! I always expalain that I am not questioning his honesty, I'm just trying to understand what has happened so that I can keep him as safe as possible in his home. He is so frail now, under 7 stone and it's a worry as he's refused to leave his home, which is understandable of course. I am concerned that he may fall down the stairs, but I cannot be there 24/7 and he would hate that anyway. I remind myself that I cannot fix everything, I can only do my best. Thank you so much for taking the time to write.