After weeks and weeks of being confused and not very well, spending time in hospital with serious problems, I took my husband in the ambulance from the hospital after an outpatients appointment back to his nursing home. It was an extremely ealy start for both of us and he went into bed for a rest and nap. I told him I was going to do the same and he said out of the blue "can I come and lie at the side of you?" I told him he looked comfortable and I would be back soon, I will be going at tea time. It has really upset me and started me back on the path of thinking could he possibly come home? Perhaps he is improving, do Alzheimer's patients ever ever turn the corner and improve? Has anyone ever had such an improvement that they returned home? At the moment he is doubly incontinent, cannot walk and is prone to falling
Amazing
- Thread starter Billy's Girl
- Start date
Hi Billys girl, dementia is such a heart-rending disease, isnt it? We are always looking for the person we loved in with all the confusion. Sometimes, out of the blue there is a flash - a moment of lucid thought and its easy to wonder if we were perhaps mistaken. The sad fact of the matter is, though, that people with dementia never improve. There is only the steady decline. If your husband went home you would have all the same problems which meant he had to go into a home back again - and some more. 
Leave all the day to day caring which would wear you out for the care home and spend time with your husband talking, holding hands and treasuring the memories of the moment.
Leave all the day to day caring which would wear you out for the care home and spend time with your husband talking, holding hands and treasuring the memories of the moment.
My husband has many lucid moments but even more deluded moments. Yes, it is touching when a flash of the old person comes to the fore but you need to be practical in terms of daily living.
John likes me to sleep in the same bed (I would rather be in a spare room) but when he is up showering or rambling nonsense at 3 am I wonder why I am indulging him.
John likes me to sleep in the same bed (I would rather be in a spare room) but when he is up showering or rambling nonsense at 3 am I wonder why I am indulging him.
Hello, Billy's Girl.
I had one incidence of this after my hubby came home from hospital the first time. However, it was only the once, and he soon settled when he went to bed. The following days, he was back to his now normal self with dementia, and all that goes with it.
If you're getting help, I'd advise you stick with it. Then you can enjoy each other's company when you go for a visit. Besides, you won't be as stressed and upset as you would, were you caring alone.
Much love and respect to you.
I had one incidence of this after my hubby came home from hospital the first time. However, it was only the once, and he soon settled when he went to bed. The following days, he was back to his now normal self with dementia, and all that goes with it.
If you're getting help, I'd advise you stick with it. Then you can enjoy each other's company when you go for a visit. Besides, you won't be as stressed and upset as you would, were you caring alone.
Much love and respect to you.
That must have been so poignant for you Billy's Girl. Strangely my husband has been very good today, and I was thinking along the same lines as you. Guess we're grasping at straws. In some ways though it makes it harder when you come back to reality. Just as well we can come on TP for good advice. Very best wishes to you. Es
xxxxx
I think Billy's Girl knows deep down the answer to the question she posed and that those who have responded are right.
However, I think that 'people with dementia never improve' and 'there is only the steady decline' maybe overstating things. Over time, there is a decline - of course. But certainly, for some people at least, there are many small peaks and troughs along the way. And we need to watch out for the peaks and make the most of them. Sometimes they are very brief indeed but not always.
I often see things that worry me and then they turn out not to be permanent - yet. It was probably over a year ago that Sue started having trouble climbing into bed. But after a few days, that sorted itself out. Sometimes the difficulties return, but not for long. Of course there will come a time when she can't do it at all. But I think it is important not to jump to conclusions when these peaks and troughs occur. There is a great danger that we might just accept something as irreversible when it actually isn't. The best way of ensuring that something becomes irreversible is to allow a PWD to stop even trying to do it.
Really wise words Stanley, borne from experience. Many times I have got really frightened when OH seemed to have suddenly deteriorated but then he has recovered quite quickly. Life with dementia is a rollercoaster of emotions and if you can try to stay in the moment without too many expectations life is a little easier.
Es
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Es
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Its terribly hard but you need to set a level of care for their worst days, not their best days. Enjoy the good days as they happen. I try to only think of today. You can spend your whole life worrying about things that never actually happen.
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