I am interested to note the link between a new environment and a downhill spiral in cognitive behaviour. My husband is 72 and has been displaying trends in memory problems for probably 3-5 years. He has had scans which were clear of AD last year, been to memory clinics and cognitive stimulation courses. Diagnosis then was MildCI. We have followed all the advice of being active, sociable, involved, being as independent as poss. We have always travelled the world. Just recently we went to Oz for a wedding via Singapore for 5 days and then Melbourne and Cairns. I did all the arranging as has become the norm. We could have been anywhere - the disorientation and confusion and immediate memory loss kicked in instantly and over a short space of time I watched a major withdrawal of my lovely husband. Wherever we stayed he had no spatial awareness of the bathroom, started to show some night time incontinence and was moody depressed and aggressive. I now need to seek a review from the Memory team and face up to a progression in his dementia. He drives excellently and as long as he knows where he is going it is his lifeline to playing euchre each work and skittles and going to Lions meetings, all of which we are told remain essential. I leave short notes on what we are doing each day and live on a knife edge fearing for him. Guess it is all part of this blasted disease that robs our lovely people of their identity. We have been told no medication but should I push for help here? Feel I need this forum now so many thanks.
Hello Gwyneth ! My OH was prescribed Aricept as soon as he had a diagnosis of Alzheimers, about 18 months/two years ago. It seems to have almost stopped the progression of the illness, and as he wasn't really ill to start with (just a bit slow and odd with words and things needing good spatial awareness) it has made our lives much less bad than I thought it might.
We went to Jamaica last year and drove through France this summer. I noticed that airports with all the noise and bustle really disoriented him, and he was very fussed and unhappy, so I have determined to try to use smaller airports wherever possible (not Gatwick on a busy day for example ) He wasn't bad driving through France (I drove) but was completely unable to mapread which made it difficult as I had to keep stopping driving to check that he hadn't got us lost.
Last year he had to have a knee replacement. I don't tell people that he has a problem, but I assumed that if the medical staff saw 'Aricept' on his notes they'd spot whta was wrong. His first post-op night was dreadful: he became very agitated, pulled out his catheter and a couple of other lines going into his hand and his back and the staff asked me in tones of surprise the next day whether he perhaps had some form of dementia. I was shocked that they hadn't understood that the very word 'Aricept' should have warned them.
So my conclusion from the travelling and hospital problems is that he needs to be as unfussed as possible, so possibly no more long haul flights for us, and that I can't expect hospital staff to understand unless it's spelled out for them. My new rule is to try always to try to avoid noise and confusion, very crowded places and needing to make decisions (like mapreading in France) He does seem mostly OK to outsiders, but we had difficulties in hotels with his being unable to find the bathroom etc.
if I were you I'd be very determined to get him Aricept if they think it might have the slightest effect on him. After all its you that has to do the caring and if one small pill could help you at all (I was very sceptical to start with) then they are being negligent in not giving him it.
I have so much sympathy for you. I thought I didn't need Talking Point, but just recently I feel I do, and have had so much kindness from people on here that a couple of answers made me cry with relief and because other people understood. The Talking Pointers are kind and, best of all, understanding. Do PM me if you would like to, and I hope all goes well for you x