I apologise if this doesn't make a lot of sense, I'm running on adrenalin.
I live with my 64 year old father. In the last 3 years it has become more and more apparent he's got early onset dementia.
Last year he suffered a mental breakdown. He became paranoid, erratic, and thought people were ignoring him. That culminated in a visit to his GP, who prescribed anti-depressants. The change was remarkable, and I hoped he might stay on the pills for ever, but no such luck. When I arranged and collected (he forgot) his last RP, they said he'd need to see the GP again before they can do any more prescriptions. He decided he was better (well yes...) and won't go back and see his GP.
That was 8 weeks ago. Since coming off the pills he's back to his usual angry self.
Today, events took a dangerous turn when he decided it was a good idea to defrost the freezer using a can of anti-freeze. It didn't work, the ice was too thick, and he spent the next three hours chipping it off by hand. I offered to use a hair dryer to melt the ice, but he ignored me and continued hacking away at it like a man possessed. He's always right, you see.
Normally he turns the freezer off for a day and lets it thaw. After doing that for 64 years he now decides to use anti-freeze. It can only be the dementia.
I can just about cope with his other symptoms but I draw a line at him potentially killing us both. I've emptied the contents of the freezer into the bin. He can't understand why I had to do that, or why spraying anti-freeze in a confined space where food and ice cubes are kept is dangerous. A tiny drop of that stuff can kill.
We've just had a huge argument about it, whereupon he jabbed his finger in my face, raised his voice, and told me I'm the problem not him. It's his house and he'll do what he likes. He suggested I move out if I don't like it, but for various reasons I can't do that right now. He alternates between "needing me here" and wanting his own space. Whenever I talk about moving out he gets very upset. Mum walked on us 30 years ago so there's no one else to look after him and I feel obliged to stay and look after him even though he's unwittingly robbing me of what should be the best years of my life.
Sometimes I think he enjoys it...
I live with my 64 year old father. In the last 3 years it has become more and more apparent he's got early onset dementia.
Last year he suffered a mental breakdown. He became paranoid, erratic, and thought people were ignoring him. That culminated in a visit to his GP, who prescribed anti-depressants. The change was remarkable, and I hoped he might stay on the pills for ever, but no such luck. When I arranged and collected (he forgot) his last RP, they said he'd need to see the GP again before they can do any more prescriptions. He decided he was better (well yes...) and won't go back and see his GP.
That was 8 weeks ago. Since coming off the pills he's back to his usual angry self.
Today, events took a dangerous turn when he decided it was a good idea to defrost the freezer using a can of anti-freeze. It didn't work, the ice was too thick, and he spent the next three hours chipping it off by hand. I offered to use a hair dryer to melt the ice, but he ignored me and continued hacking away at it like a man possessed. He's always right, you see.
Normally he turns the freezer off for a day and lets it thaw. After doing that for 64 years he now decides to use anti-freeze. It can only be the dementia.
I can just about cope with his other symptoms but I draw a line at him potentially killing us both. I've emptied the contents of the freezer into the bin. He can't understand why I had to do that, or why spraying anti-freeze in a confined space where food and ice cubes are kept is dangerous. A tiny drop of that stuff can kill.
We've just had a huge argument about it, whereupon he jabbed his finger in my face, raised his voice, and told me I'm the problem not him. It's his house and he'll do what he likes. He suggested I move out if I don't like it, but for various reasons I can't do that right now. He alternates between "needing me here" and wanting his own space. Whenever I talk about moving out he gets very upset. Mum walked on us 30 years ago so there's no one else to look after him and I feel obliged to stay and look after him even though he's unwittingly robbing me of what should be the best years of my life.
Sometimes I think he enjoys it...
