Hello everyone.
My elderly parents are still living at home. My mother was diagnosed 2 years ago with vascular dementia which so far has only manifested itself in very limited mobility and is partially sighted with chronic pain.
My father however has now got significant memory problems. He is my mothers main carer and despite having her meds put in blister packs has still forgotten to give or mixes up days and packs. We now have carers in twice a day to give the meds. He will tell the same story over and over, phones multiple times a day to ask the same question, forgets if they have eaten etc.
We persuaded him to go to GP for memory assessment and was then referred to local memory clinic for diagnosis. He is 85, still works as a sole trader in a responsible/important field and still drives.
He has said he dreads going to the appointment and was overheard saying he is being forced to go by his children and he really doesn't want to know if he has dementia.
We now feel very conflicted. Should he ultimately decide himself to pursue a diagnosis? He knows that a diagnosis of dementia would have future consequences with driving and continuing to work which he says he needs and lives for. It gives him a reason to get up in the morning.
Thanks for reading and your thoughts.
Sue
My elderly parents are still living at home. My mother was diagnosed 2 years ago with vascular dementia which so far has only manifested itself in very limited mobility and is partially sighted with chronic pain.
My father however has now got significant memory problems. He is my mothers main carer and despite having her meds put in blister packs has still forgotten to give or mixes up days and packs. We now have carers in twice a day to give the meds. He will tell the same story over and over, phones multiple times a day to ask the same question, forgets if they have eaten etc.
We persuaded him to go to GP for memory assessment and was then referred to local memory clinic for diagnosis. He is 85, still works as a sole trader in a responsible/important field and still drives.
He has said he dreads going to the appointment and was overheard saying he is being forced to go by his children and he really doesn't want to know if he has dementia.
We now feel very conflicted. Should he ultimately decide himself to pursue a diagnosis? He knows that a diagnosis of dementia would have future consequences with driving and continuing to work which he says he needs and lives for. It gives him a reason to get up in the morning.
Thanks for reading and your thoughts.
Sue
