Hi I'm new to the forum but wondered if anyone can help.
Mum has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I'm from a large family and we have all noticed her decline over the past two years and also question whether dad is in the early stages. Mum and dad are pushing the whole family away apart from one of their children who is now revelling in the fact that they are mum and dad's favourite and they can join in with the secrets. The three of them even kept the diagnosis from us for as long as they could manage to keep it secret. They attend a post diagnosis support group which they refuse to let anyone else attend. Should the rest of us all just back off and leave them to it (which is what they all want and what they are driving us to) or do we take the other view that it is the disease that is making mum (and maybe dad) behave in this way and try and keep being a part of their lives. We are all heartbroken in the way they are behaving. They will allow us to visit them at home but that is as far as it goes. They won't talk about anything with anybody apart from the one 'chosen child' their other children and grown up grandchildren now count for nothing and they wont go anywhere or do anything unless it is with this particular child.
Mum has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I'm from a large family and we have all noticed her decline over the past two years and also question whether dad is in the early stages. Mum and dad are pushing the whole family away apart from one of their children who is now revelling in the fact that they are mum and dad's favourite and they can join in with the secrets. The three of them even kept the diagnosis from us for as long as they could manage to keep it secret. They attend a post diagnosis support group which they refuse to let anyone else attend. Should the rest of us all just back off and leave them to it (which is what they all want and what they are driving us to) or do we take the other view that it is the disease that is making mum (and maybe dad) behave in this way and try and keep being a part of their lives. We are all heartbroken in the way they are behaving. They will allow us to visit them at home but that is as far as it goes. They won't talk about anything with anybody apart from the one 'chosen child' their other children and grown up grandchildren now count for nothing and they wont go anywhere or do anything unless it is with this particular child.