Frontalotemparal dementia

[CASS33]

We now have a diagnosis of frontalotemporal dementia for T. She is already finding it hard to find the right words to put sentences together and her girls find it hard that she has no interest in how they are getting on at school ect. I am helping her with personal hygiene as she seems to have forgotten how to wash. We have tryed to explain to T how ill she is but she she keeps saying no dementia and gets very agitated. I don't know if it's best not to say anything to her or to try and keep her in the loop. She is having another MRI on the 27th of this month plus a lumber puncture at some point in the near future. Do we keep trying to talk to T about the dementia or let her happily go her own sweet way?

 

[Grannie G]

What a dreadful diagnosis for T, your daughter @CASS33 There are no words to express my sadness for you and your family.

Do we keep trying to talk to T about the dementia

It is better not to I think.

Loss of language and an inability to express emotion seem to be quite usual in symptoms of Frontotemporal Dementia [ FTD ]. It might help if you allow T to be who she is and follow her lead.

The factsheet from the Alzheimer`s Society may help you understand this form of dementia although it may make painful reading for you.

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/frontotemporal-dementia

 

[Izzy]

How terribly sad and so hard for you all. I tend to agree that it might be better not to talk to T about it.

 

[Steve115]

I am very sad to read your story. I decided a few years ago not to mention to my wife that she had Dementia. I used another illness to hang things on, on so that I could say we cannot do that because of the *** illness or you should do that because of ****. She accepted that though it is not easy. You will need to explain to any medics or other professionals that is what you have done and would like. They have all played along for me which is a great help.
With regard to hygiene my wife was the same and refused to wash, bath, shower, clean teeth etc. In the end I gave up pushing and we settled for minimal amount of cleanliness. There are lots of things on line that will aid you and your wife to clean her more readily without the rigmarole of showering and bathing. Though we have managed the latter on a few occasions. In many ways a 'cats lick' is fine. With my wife we think that this is her way of keeping some control over a life that is slowly disappearing.
I hope this helps a little. There is a huge amount of knowledge on this site as well as organisations that provide products that will help ease your job.

 

[BazArcher]

I would suggest let her go her own way its bad enough she'll struggle with a lot of things but being told what it is won't help a lot, kinda lucky my OH who has FTD doesn't understand what it is and never mentions it just says her memory is poor. Like Steve115 I tend to use another illness as a wall to try and keep her settled, as to the cleaning fortunate at the moment things are ok but changing clothes on a regular basis has become something of chore .
Baz