Hi there. Both my parents are in their 70s and within the last year I first noticed Dad behaving oddly and now within the last six months, it's Mum too. Having spoken to my siblings, we all seemed to have noticed various things, but it didn't all pool together until we sat down and talked. Only today, Mum completely blanked out something that happened an hour before She genuinely seemed to be unaware of what happened and I was left stumped by it. It's happened several times before. They both get agitated and argue about things they swear they have told one of us, even though they clearly haven't or vice versa....they swear we didn't tell them something but we did. Dad has had a few arguments with each of us at some point over various confusions or misunderstandings. He has difficulty with visual perception and cannot perform tasks like he used to. Something like putting up a shelf is difficult now, as he can't grasp the usual technique and if he gets it on the wall he thinks it's level and will argue the point. Mum lost her way in London in streets that she grew up in and couldn't remember her way around. How do I deal with this? Do I speak with the GP first to ask how to approach my parents? They will not think that anything is wrong and I know that perhaps some of their symptoms could be related to medications perhaps? It's all rather worrying. I am thinking we need to write down all the symptoms and dates.
Worried about both parents displaying early symptoms maybe?
- Thread starter fizzy10
- Start date
Hello fizzy 10 and welcome to Talking Point, it sounds like a good idea to write everything down that you are concerned about, then even if their GP cannot discuss things with you at least they will have knowledge of what is happening,could you arrange general check ups for them and send a letter or email first to their GPs,
I am sure other people will be along soon with their ideas,
Best wishes, Jeany x
I am sure other people will be along soon with their ideas,
Best wishes, Jeany x
Hello Fizzy,
Welcome to the forum. I can imagine that you are worried, one is bad enough, but both parents is absolutely terrifying.
However remember that almost everyone is terrified of even the mention of dementia, our worst nightmare, and we worry about anyone getting older if they have cognitive slip ups. I worry about myself (53) every time I lose a word, or forget something, and I too have entire incidents wiped off my memory board. Happily there are several other reasons for having dodgy memory besides dementia (depression, stress and anxiety, just to mention two very common ones).
As the two wise posters before me have suggested, I would also make careful notes of the memory slip up and the date. This will make it easier to speak to medical experts if required, as you have concrete incidents.
Even if you have reason for genuine concern, it may be a whole new chapter to get them to visit a doctor about the problem. Mum has probably had dementia for about 15 years now, judging by the burnt saucepans, the lost cheque books, and forgetting important details while blaming others for it. However she had at least 12 golden years of slightly impaired memory, before neighbours called me and said she could no longer live safely alone. Now, 4 years after diagnosis, she has stage 6 Alzheimers (so severe), and yet she lives in total denial of her illness. She takes pills for her memory (Ebixa) and coconut oil to feed her brain, and has just returned from a visit to the GP: he knows what's wrong, so do I, and she tells him how well she is and that she can do everything for herself. Sometimes delusion can be a blessing. Mum never wanted to "loose her marbles", now she has hardly any left, and she lives in blissful denial.
I wish you and your siblings well, and hope that dementia is not on the cards for either parent. All the best, and keep posting here, as there are many wise and experienced people here who can and do help. Take care, BE
Welcome to the forum. I can imagine that you are worried, one is bad enough, but both parents is absolutely terrifying.
However remember that almost everyone is terrified of even the mention of dementia, our worst nightmare, and we worry about anyone getting older if they have cognitive slip ups. I worry about myself (53) every time I lose a word, or forget something, and I too have entire incidents wiped off my memory board. Happily there are several other reasons for having dodgy memory besides dementia (depression, stress and anxiety, just to mention two very common ones).
As the two wise posters before me have suggested, I would also make careful notes of the memory slip up and the date. This will make it easier to speak to medical experts if required, as you have concrete incidents.
Even if you have reason for genuine concern, it may be a whole new chapter to get them to visit a doctor about the problem. Mum has probably had dementia for about 15 years now, judging by the burnt saucepans, the lost cheque books, and forgetting important details while blaming others for it. However she had at least 12 golden years of slightly impaired memory, before neighbours called me and said she could no longer live safely alone. Now, 4 years after diagnosis, she has stage 6 Alzheimers (so severe), and yet she lives in total denial of her illness. She takes pills for her memory (Ebixa) and coconut oil to feed her brain, and has just returned from a visit to the GP: he knows what's wrong, so do I, and she tells him how well she is and that she can do everything for herself. Sometimes delusion can be a blessing. Mum never wanted to "loose her marbles", now she has hardly any left, and she lives in blissful denial.
I wish you and your siblings well, and hope that dementia is not on the cards for either parent. All the best, and keep posting here, as there are many wise and experienced people here who can and do help. Take care, BE
Hi Fizzy 10
My siblings and I found ourselves in a very similar situation many years ago. Both our parents were acting odd but in different ways if that makes sense. We eventually got them both diagnosed ,Dad had Alzheimers and Mum Vascular Dementia. I did not live in the same country as my parents so I was seeing them every six months and noticed first, that things were not right. By staying in their home as well I got to see things happening that anyone visiting for just a few hours did not. I remember the doctor not taking us seriously when we suggested that they both had some kind of problem. Its worth keeping a note of whats happening and when. If it does turn out to be what u are thinking , u will find this forum really useful .
Best Wishes D.
