Dear All,
I am a new member of this website, and have been very interested to read the messages on this forum. My own experience is that my father appears to be entering into the later stages of Alzheimer's, although he has yet to be formally diagnosed. My mother sought help 4 years ago, but the case was dismissed abruptly by their GP and since then she has coped on her own.
Events last October resulted in my mother going to see a different doctor who arranged a home visit by a mental health community nurse, but due to other home circumstances (my 87 year old uncle, also living with my parents, suffered a major stroke), my mother has postponed seeing an old age psychiatrist.
However, things have dramatically declined in the past few months, culminating last night in a bizarre string of events. My father failed to recognise that he was married, and so to demonstrate that he was, my mother produced their wedding album. He was then convinced that my mother was in fact 'the other woman', and that somehow she had tricked him into getting married, whilst he was meant to be betrothed to someone else. It was as if he had gone back mentally to before he was married. Believing that he was in the wrong house, he then ran off down the drive,which resulted in my mother phoning me in distress.
When I arrived, (fortunately I live only 2 minutes down the road), my father did not recognise me and actually believed that I was 'Florrie' (my mother's name). I had to sit him down, holding his hand, and explain to him who everyone was- that the woman in the house was actually his wife, and that I was his daughter. It took lots of hugs and patience to calm him down, for he was very frightened and disorientated. He was pacified by the time that I had left, but he was still confused. He started to say that he should have to keep away from other women as they find him attractive! It was as if he had no concept of his age (79) in relation to anyone else's age.
If anyone has experienced something similar with their loved ones, or if anyone has any advice of how my mother can be helped in this situation, I would love to hear from you.
All the best,
Sue.
I am a new member of this website, and have been very interested to read the messages on this forum. My own experience is that my father appears to be entering into the later stages of Alzheimer's, although he has yet to be formally diagnosed. My mother sought help 4 years ago, but the case was dismissed abruptly by their GP and since then she has coped on her own.
Events last October resulted in my mother going to see a different doctor who arranged a home visit by a mental health community nurse, but due to other home circumstances (my 87 year old uncle, also living with my parents, suffered a major stroke), my mother has postponed seeing an old age psychiatrist.
However, things have dramatically declined in the past few months, culminating last night in a bizarre string of events. My father failed to recognise that he was married, and so to demonstrate that he was, my mother produced their wedding album. He was then convinced that my mother was in fact 'the other woman', and that somehow she had tricked him into getting married, whilst he was meant to be betrothed to someone else. It was as if he had gone back mentally to before he was married. Believing that he was in the wrong house, he then ran off down the drive,which resulted in my mother phoning me in distress.
When I arrived, (fortunately I live only 2 minutes down the road), my father did not recognise me and actually believed that I was 'Florrie' (my mother's name). I had to sit him down, holding his hand, and explain to him who everyone was- that the woman in the house was actually his wife, and that I was his daughter. It took lots of hugs and patience to calm him down, for he was very frightened and disorientated. He was pacified by the time that I had left, but he was still confused. He started to say that he should have to keep away from other women as they find him attractive! It was as if he had no concept of his age (79) in relation to anyone else's age.
If anyone has experienced something similar with their loved ones, or if anyone has any advice of how my mother can be helped in this situation, I would love to hear from you.
All the best,
Sue.
