Father in law recently diagnosed

[lilac47]

Hi everyone - new member here My father in law has very recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers. He is 94 years old and lives on his own; up till now he has always looked after himself. His short term memory has been getting worse for a while, though his long term memory is spot on. Can remember stuff from when he was a child, even naming people in childhood photos. He has now been given medication to help slow down the process (obviously it won't stop it) but our main problem is going to be getting him to take it. Like a lot of older people, he says he feels well so has no need to take tablets. My husband and I have explained that without the meds he will get worse a lot quicker! My husband is going with him on Thursday to his GP to review his other medication. Any suggestions would be gratefully received

 

[marionq]

Part of the illness is to make logical thinking very difficult. So the best of luck! My husband is told by me on a daily basis to leave his eye drops for his glaucoma where I can see them and remember to administer them and every morning when I come down he has moved them somewhere else.

Each time I tell him he assures me he will leave them exactly where they are and each day he finds a new spot to hide them!

 

[cragmaid]

Ask the GP to arrange for the meds to be dispensed in a Dosette Box. They are then put loose into a timed compartment ie morning, noon afternoon and night. then all he has to do rolleyes is open the segment and take the pills. Mum was on these for a long time and before she went into the home she has carers come in twice a day to supervise her taking them. Good Luck.

 

[Dave K]

Hi everyone - new member here My father in law has very recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers. He is 94 years old and lives on his own; up till now he has always looked after himself. His short term memory has been getting worse for a while, though his long term memory is spot on. Can remember stuff from when he was a child, even naming people in childhood photos. He has now been given medication to help slow down the process (obviously it won't stop it) but our main problem is going to be getting him to take it. Like a lot of older people, he says he feels well so has no need to take tablets. My husband and I have explained that without the meds he will get worse a lot quicker! My husband is going with him on Thursday to his GP to review his other medication. Any suggestions would be gratefully received

Hi lilac47

Welcome to Talking Point

I am new here myself and care for my wife with Dementia

WOW! - If your father in law has got to 94 years old and has been memory deficient free so far then well done on him

However, no one wants to see any family member, at any age, be afflicted with memory problems

It seems that short term memory is the first to go in most cases and the long term memory is retained or even enhanced, this I imagine is because short and long term memory is stored in different parts of the brain, it's a bit like loosing your sight, once gone another sense gets better

For you or your husband to go to the doctor's is the best approach especially if you can take (and include) your father in law in the process.

Nothing worse than being left out of the loop

 

[lilac47]

Hi lilac47

Welcome to Talking Point

I am new here myself and care for my wife with Dementia

WOW! - If your father in law has got to 94 years old and has been memory deficient free so far then well done on him

However, no one wants to see any family member, at any age, be afflicted with memory problems

It seems that short term memory is the first to go in most cases and the long term memory is retained or even enhanced, this I imagine is because short and long term memory is stored in different parts of the brain, it's a bit like loosing your sight, once gone another sense gets better

For you or your husband to go to the doctor's is the best approach especially if you can take (and include) your father in law in the process.

Nothing worse than being left out of the loop

Thanks Dave and everyone else He's done very well up to now - does everything for himself, shopping, laundry, cooking etc. Doesn't do the cleaning as he hates cleaning! A lady comes in once a week to do that He has an appointment with the GP today and husband is going with him. This is at the request of the GP following concerns from us that he isn't taking his meds. So fingers crossed.

Pam.