No cognition

[Sue J]

You and everyone else are welcome, Sue. Please keep it going for as long as you like And I really do hope you find that tomato!

Hope you don't find it upsetting to try and analyse your feelings and post them.

I hope so too Chuggalug but it hasn't appeared yet so am letting it go, hopefully not off!

Dementia symptoms are upsetting SoyHJ but it is more upsetting, I find, to be misunderstood because of something outside of my control. I have to analyse it myself so that I can understand and not cause myself, nor others, I hope, any more grief than is necessary. Everyone on here tries to analyse behaviours in order to help their caree, I am on my own so have to do it for myself.

 

[Grannie G]

I used to work with children with speech and language disorders and some of their problems were so similar to those of people with dementia who start to struggle with language.

Often it is not a hearing loss but a word processing loss which is the cause of misunderstanding and is why some days are better than others.

My husband`s hearing was better than mine until the day he died. But he could only understand the simplest language, usually functional language, e.g. `Are you all right? ` `Are you warm enough?` `Do you want a drink?`
Very often these are closed questions, questions which only need a `yes ` or `no` in reply. Open questions, those which need more in the way of a reply is where the problems are.

Sue, I hope you know the high regard I have for you and how much I admire the support you give TP.

 

[Chuggalug]

Often it is not a hearing loss but a word processing loss which is the cause of misunderstanding and is why some days are better than others.

Completely agree, Grannie G. Good point. A word processing loss. Even those short Q's are now not being understood.

 

[Sue J]

Sue, I hope you know the high regard I have for you and how much I admire the support you give TP.

Dear Sylvia, thank you it is mutual you know I don't think, whatever I do forget, that I will forget you as the first person that welcomed me to TP and at that time I was in a very, very bad place and am very thankful for all the support you have personally given me but the immense understanding I too gain from being able to read everyone's (well not all of them! can't manage that - but you know what I mean) contributions. xxx

I know to some it doesn't appear I have a word processing loss, but I agree, 'I have lost my language' was one of my first complaints to the GP.

 

[WIFE]

Hi everyone.

This is really hard to describe. My hubby can still talk, but he cannot seem to understand anything I say when I answer. If I could give a one word answer, it might work. But the responses to things like: "I can't get my computer to work (he still uses XP) are hard to reply to.

He doesn't actually USE the PC. It became habit just to power it up, as that's what he's done for many years! I still find him sitting in front of the screen, occasionally, but he doesn't have enough cognition to know what to do with it, now.

He is very deaf, but does dementia affect how a person hears as well? Has anyone else come up with the difficulty of not being able to reply to their OH?

Man, but it's difficult, this disease

Oh Chuggalug - been there, am there, got that dratted t-shirt, CD-rom and video. I find now I am answering a total brick wall. My husband flushed one hearing aid down the loo and threw the other one away somewhere - we know not where and when I suggest he has new ones the NH say not to waste the money - the new ones will only go the same way! So I struggle two ways - with making him hear and then with making him understand and it gets worse day on day. Now all he gives me is a totally vacant look in response to anything I have said if he looks at me at all and then just rambles off in his own little world about cars, boats, planes, dogs etc - and yes, those dreaded Germans! You have my utmost compassion and understanding. Oh and the new topic of conversation for today - bicycles!

 

[Chuggalug]

Oh Chuggalug - been there, am there, got that dratted t-shirt, CD-rom and video. I find now I am answering a total brick wall. My husband flushed one hearing aid down the loo and threw the other one away somewhere - we know not where and when I suggest he has new ones the NH say not to waste the money - the new ones will only go the same way! So I struggle two ways - with making him hear and then with making him understand and it gets worse day on day. Now all he gives me is a totally vacant look in response to anything I have said if he looks at me at all and then just rambles off in his own little world about cars, boats, planes, dogs etc - and yes, those dreaded Germans! You have my utmost compassion and understanding. Oh and the new topic of conversation for today - bicycles!

Wow, Wife. So what do we do? Let them talk and smile a lot? I'm not being funny. Hubby is long-term deaf but this total incomprehension got me wondering if something else had happened to do with the disease, as total misunderstanding has never been normal, even without the hearing aid.

Deep sigh...

 

[LadyA]

William is also very deaf - but refused to wear hearing aids. I suspect that in the early days of his dementia, he refused to wear the hearing aids in order to cover up his confusion and his memory loss. Because then he could say "Oh, I just didn't hear you." That happened so often. And it was only years later I realised. Like so many other things.

GrannieG, one of the things that was drummed into us when training was that when dealing with people with dementia, never ask "open" questions - like "What would you like to drink?" - because many can't process enough to decide without further information. We were taught to if possible ask questions that can have a simple yes or no answer - and to offer a choice if possible, but not to confuse by offering multiple choices. A choice of two or at most three things. As William's condition has advanced, it's proved invaluable. At this late stage, we've progressed to where I can't even offer him a verbal choice of two - I can't for example ask him if he'd like fruit juice or chocolate milk - I have to show him the two choices, and he can make his decision that way. So, on the rare occasions that we eat in a cafe now, I will order two different meals, and then he can choose which one he wants - and I have the other. No point in trying to choose from a menu - just reading it out to him means nothing to him anymore. He has to see IT.

 

[Kijo]

GrannieG, one of the things that was drummed into us when training was that when dealing with people with dementia, never ask "open" questions - like "What would you like to drink?" - because many can't process enough to decide without further information. We were taught to if possible ask questions that can have a simple yes or no answer - and to offer a choice if possible, but not to confuse by offering multiple choices. A choice of two or at most three things. As William's condition has advanced, it's proved invaluable. At this late stage, we've progressed to where I can't even offer him a verbal choice of two - I can't for example ask him if he'd like fruit juice or chocolate milk - I have to show him the two choices, and he can make his decision that way. So, on the rare occasions that we eat in a cafe now, I will order two different meals, and then he can choose which one he wants - and I have the other. No point in trying to choose from a menu - just reading it out to him means nothing to him anymore. He has to see IT.[/QUOTE]

LadyA, this is definitely valuable information. I found I had gradually changed from "what would you like for dinner?"to "would you like spaghetti or pork chops?" , as the first way is way to vague, and I was tired of repeating myself. I cannot offer 3 choices, as that is way too much, but as you say, I can show him 3 items so he can pick. I fell into this, but it is a very good piece of information to get out there, and I am sure it likely applies to what someone wants to wear, or do, etc. etc.

 

[Chuggalug]

LadyA and Kijo: I now tell hubby, "fancy a snack?" to which he'll usually nod his head. Then I just make up my own mind as to what we'll eat. Much easier that way, and no arguing, or whatever, over food choices. There are things I know he likes, so I try to have those items around. Thank you both for your comments

 

[SoyHJ]

I suspect that in the early days of his dementia, he refused to wear the hearing aids in order to cover up his confusion and his memory loss. Because then he could say "Oh, I just didn't hear you." That happened so often. And it was only years later I realised. Like so many other things.

Lady A, a penny has slowly begun to drop....I've heard that so often despite nothing being wrong with OH's hearing....Can't believe that has never occurred to me.

 

[Sue J]

Wow, Wife. So what do we do? Let them talk and smile a lot? I'm not being funny. Hubby is long-term deaf but this total incomprehension got me wondering if something else had happened to do with the disease, as total misunderstanding has never been normal, even without the hearing aid.

Deep sigh...

Dear Chuggalug,

Your exasperation hits me from the screen. And forgive me you made me laugh The last couple of days comprehension and thinking has been more difficult, I probably have looked blankly at people, when I visited the local shops, people were not unkind but I just cannot respond normally when I am like this. What I have done though is take paracetamol, I find it hard to even think to do that when I am like it, it helps a little - I don't know how but it does. I also experience more bodily pain that I am not really aware of until I touch myself and am very sore - I don't know why other than it is a very complex disease process.

I am very frustrated when I am like this but know this doesn't help so the best thing is to just 'potter' do random things as I feel the need and/or put something on the TV that I don't have to concentrate on e.g. a short soap or something (I never watched these programmes before I became ill). If someone were here with me I would find it very stressful because I don't really want to, because I cant, communicate when I am like this and would want them to just get on and do what they needed/wanted to do and let me be (as long as I wasn't doing anything dangerous) because this is how I need to be until it passes. Someone wanting to converse would add stress which then exacerbates symptoms further.

I am not criticising, I think/hope you know that but just sharing in the hope it helps.
Hope your day isn't too stressful
love
Sue

 

[velo70]

Hi. This thread gets better each day. It has become as exciting and informative as my new satnav when I recently went touring foreign parts!. I found T P when my wife was diagnosed, in my intense search for information about the bombshell that had exploded into our lives. I logged on frequently for a while, but found that I was becoming more disheartened by the despair I was reading of how others struggled to cope and the enormity of the disease we confront. I have many reasons to thank Granny G. Dave and others for helping throw light and pointing me towards information that was useful. We read these posts together, and my wife finds identity with some of the feelings and problems she is confronting, now expressed. and we have also had quite a few smiles too. Thanks to all of you.

 

[Chuggalug]

Dear Chuggalug,

Your exasperation hits me from the screen. And forgive me you made me laugh The last couple of days comprehension and thinking has been more difficult, I probably have looked blankly at people, when I visited the local shops, people were not unkind but I just cannot respond normally when I am like this. What I have done though is take paracetamol, I find it hard to even think to do that when I am like it, it helps a little - I don't know how but it does. I also experience more bodily pain that I am not really aware of until I touch myself and am very sore - I don't know why other than it is a very complex disease process.

I am very frustrated when I am like this but know this doesn't help so the best thing is to just 'potter' do random things as I feel the need and/or put something on the TV that I don't have to concentrate on e.g. a short soap or something (I never watched these programmes before I became ill). If someone were here with me I would find it very stressful because I don't really want to, because I cant, communicate when I am like this and would want them to just get on and do what they needed/wanted to do and let me be (as long as I wasn't doing anything dangerous) because this is how I need to be until it passes. Someone wanting to converse would add stress which then exacerbates symptoms further.

I am not criticising, I think/hope you know that but just sharing in the hope it helps.
Hope your day isn't too stressful
love
Sue

No, Sue - not exasperation. Just total non-understanding on my part. We get absolutely no help whatsoever, except the pills from when hubby was in hospital for a TIA earlier. Nothing is done for anything else, so I'm walking through the mire of all this, hoping I don't make it any worse!

Thank you for your comment.

 

[LadyA]

SueJ, paracetomol would be anti inflammatory, wouldn't it? I wonder would a stronger anti-inflammatory help you more?

 

[Sue J]

SueJ, paracetomol would be anti inflammatory, wouldn't it? I wonder would a stronger anti-inflammatory help you more?

I react to anti inflammatories very detrimentally LadyA but thanks for the thought.

I think the paracetamol is working two fold, analgesic and anti-pyretic although I have no measurable temperature I 'know' its doing this.

Olive leaf extract reduces the inflammatory response, somehow don't know how but it helps.

 

[LadyA]

I react to anti inflammatories very detrimentally LadyA but thanks for the thought.

I think the paracetamol is working two fold, analgesic and anti-pyretic although I have no measurable temperature I 'know' its doing this.

Olive leaf extract reduces the inflammatory response, somehow don't know how but it helps.

Olive leaf extract is anti viral, and also strengthens the immune response. Interesting.

Sent from my C1905 using Talking Point mobile app

 

[Bella Cleo]

The difference between Alzheimers and Dementia

Hello
What is the difference between Alzheimers and Dementia and what are the short term and long term symptoms of both?

Thank you

 

[LadyA]

There are many types of dementia. Alzheimers Disease is probably the most common. Often it's difficult to get a diagnosis of the specific type of dementia involved, or there can be more than one type involved. You'll probably find more info in the "Resources " section.

Sent from my C1905 using Talking Point mobile app

 

[jeany123]

Hello
What is the difference between Alzheimers and Dementia and what are the short term and long term symptoms of both?

Thank you

Hello this fact sheet will answer your questions
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200137

 

[JadeFern]

No Cognition and deafness

Hi everyone.

This is really hard to describe. My hubby can still talk, but he cannot seem to understand anything I say when I answer. If I could give a one word answer, it might work. But the responses to things like: "I can't get my computer to work (he still uses XP) are hard to reply to.

He doesn't actually USE the PC. It became habit just to power it up, as that's what he's done for many years! I still find him sitting in front of the screen, occasionally, but he doesn't have enough cognition to know what to do with it, now.

He is very deaf, but does dementia affect how a person hears as well? Has anyone else come up with the difficulty of not being able to reply to their OH?

Man, but it's difficult, this disease

My mother has Vascular Dementia and is also very deaf. She appears to have very similar cognition problems to your husband. Sometimes this is worse than others. At times I realise she has actually heard me but is not able to comprehend what I mean. It sometimes helps to repeat the message in another way - in short phrases.

It might be possible to just say to your husband that he is unable to use his computer now because he has memory problems. He may accept this as a short term answer.