Hi,
I'm incredibly interested (for the strangest reasons) in the 'early signs' of dementia, and how to spot them / what they might be. Not because I think perhaps we could have stopped my nannan's dementia, but just because I'm trying to work out how long she might have had it.
See the issue with my Nannan is that, although it sounds callous and harsh, being completely truthful, she's never been what you would call a particularly 'intelligent' or 'independant' woman. She's never had / wanted / needed any sort of understanding of current affairs, news, politics, foreign affairs, or even very much general knowledge other than what she has gathered during her daily life. She was out of education at 14, and married at 21. Since that time, my Grandpa has sheltered her from everyone and everything. She never had to learn how to do anything that wasnt included in the remit of 'housewife' because Grandpa did it. She has always refused to even pay by cheque because she doesnt know how to fill one out, despite being shown several times.
As a result of this, it's difficult to say exactly when she started exhibiting symptoms of AD/VaD because well... she's always been 'a bit dizzy' as it were.
What eventually tipped us off was things like her completely forgetting what time you'd told her to meet up, or sending birthday cards in the wrong month, putting the wrong flour in yorkshire puddings (her speciality). Things that she never used to do.
So... I guess i'm asking what it was that 'tipped you off' that something was amiss with your relative?
Also, I wonder how you judge how 'severe' or far along the sufferer is, and what the different symptoms are between AD and VaD? Nannan is incapable of living alone, or even being left alone for more than say 20 minutes, because she ends up just sat, staring at the wall because she can't remember what to do / seems to just switch off. Mum found her sat in the dark in the bathroom the other day and she couldnt explain what she was doing in there. However, confusion and 'risk' aside, because of the way Grandpa has done everything for 60 years, I dont think she'd ever be able to live alone anyway, even without the dementia because she simply doesnt have those 'skills'.
We know she will have had a score at the memory clinic, for the test, but either Grandpa hasnt told us, she didnt tell him about it or something else has happened because Mum and I have no idea what it was...
I'm incredibly interested (for the strangest reasons) in the 'early signs' of dementia, and how to spot them / what they might be. Not because I think perhaps we could have stopped my nannan's dementia, but just because I'm trying to work out how long she might have had it.
See the issue with my Nannan is that, although it sounds callous and harsh, being completely truthful, she's never been what you would call a particularly 'intelligent' or 'independant' woman. She's never had / wanted / needed any sort of understanding of current affairs, news, politics, foreign affairs, or even very much general knowledge other than what she has gathered during her daily life. She was out of education at 14, and married at 21. Since that time, my Grandpa has sheltered her from everyone and everything. She never had to learn how to do anything that wasnt included in the remit of 'housewife' because Grandpa did it. She has always refused to even pay by cheque because she doesnt know how to fill one out, despite being shown several times.
As a result of this, it's difficult to say exactly when she started exhibiting symptoms of AD/VaD because well... she's always been 'a bit dizzy' as it were.
What eventually tipped us off was things like her completely forgetting what time you'd told her to meet up, or sending birthday cards in the wrong month, putting the wrong flour in yorkshire puddings (her speciality). Things that she never used to do.
So... I guess i'm asking what it was that 'tipped you off' that something was amiss with your relative?
Also, I wonder how you judge how 'severe' or far along the sufferer is, and what the different symptoms are between AD and VaD? Nannan is incapable of living alone, or even being left alone for more than say 20 minutes, because she ends up just sat, staring at the wall because she can't remember what to do / seems to just switch off. Mum found her sat in the dark in the bathroom the other day and she couldnt explain what she was doing in there. However, confusion and 'risk' aside, because of the way Grandpa has done everything for 60 years, I dont think she'd ever be able to live alone anyway, even without the dementia because she simply doesnt have those 'skills'.
We know she will have had a score at the memory clinic, for the test, but either Grandpa hasnt told us, she didnt tell him about it or something else has happened because Mum and I have no idea what it was...
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