Hello. I've just registered this evening.
First, a big thank you for BEING here! I have already read so much that has proved useful.
I believe my mother (aged 78) is developing dementia although, as far as I know, she has not been formally diagnosed. My parents live in Somerset and I visited from Surrey this week-end as my mother had an appointment at the memory clinic today and I wanted to be there to ask a lot of questions. Somewhat ironically, she had forgotten that she had received a letter postponing the appointment until February. Heigh-ho. That, coupled with watching Fiona Phillips' fine documentary this evening, has prompted me to register here.
As far as I know, she scores okay in whatever tests she has previously been given at the clinic (this would have been her third visit), but it is not just that she forgets where she's left her glasses. They have just returned from a month-long trip to Australia and Malaysia, and she can remember little about it. Since returning, she has shopped for provisions but bought little in the way of real food, because she doesn't seem to make the connection that she has to buy potatoes before she can cook them. Having said that, she has forgotten how to cook very basic meals.
This has been developing over the past 18 months or so. I have been concerned by instances such as: forgetting what a bottle of lemonade looks like; falling asleep for a short nap after Christmas lunch a year ago and, on waking, forgetting that she had eaten; and, the day after my father's 80th birthday party last summer, forgetting what she had done the day before. There have been lots of other examples. She no longer does the crossword (she used to do really difficult cryptic crosswords) or even reads books any more. On another thread, I saw the seven stages of dementia and would tentatively place my mother between stages 3 and 4 (ie, confusional).
She has been tested for UTIs and had a scan (not sure whether that was a CAT scan or MRI). She has also developed macular degeneration (although she is quite positive about this and says, 'oh, it's only in one eye'). She has to be coaxed to eat at the best of times because she has lost her sense of smell (and therefore of taste).
My father gets very cross with her inability to remember things. He knows it's pointless, so then feels guilty about getting cross, but doesn't seem able to stop himself. Sound familiar? He has also relied on her utterly to do the nurturing role, so I'm not sure if he has ever even realised that somebody has to buy the potatoes so that he can eat them!
Sorry, this is becoming a long post, but I wanted to set the picture before asking the questions:
1. How difficult is it to get a diagnosis? I suppose there must be some concern in medical circles for them to be sending her follow-up appointments for the memory clinic, but might they have chosen not to tell her yet?
2. How can I help? My parents believe they are usefully situated between their three sons in Cornwall and two daughters in London, but the truth is that they inconveniently situated for all of us. I will make sure I'm there for the next appointment in February, but what else can I do?
Again, my apologies for the length of the post.
Thanks
Hats
First, a big thank you for BEING here! I have already read so much that has proved useful.
I believe my mother (aged 78) is developing dementia although, as far as I know, she has not been formally diagnosed. My parents live in Somerset and I visited from Surrey this week-end as my mother had an appointment at the memory clinic today and I wanted to be there to ask a lot of questions. Somewhat ironically, she had forgotten that she had received a letter postponing the appointment until February. Heigh-ho. That, coupled with watching Fiona Phillips' fine documentary this evening, has prompted me to register here.
As far as I know, she scores okay in whatever tests she has previously been given at the clinic (this would have been her third visit), but it is not just that she forgets where she's left her glasses. They have just returned from a month-long trip to Australia and Malaysia, and she can remember little about it. Since returning, she has shopped for provisions but bought little in the way of real food, because she doesn't seem to make the connection that she has to buy potatoes before she can cook them. Having said that, she has forgotten how to cook very basic meals.
This has been developing over the past 18 months or so. I have been concerned by instances such as: forgetting what a bottle of lemonade looks like; falling asleep for a short nap after Christmas lunch a year ago and, on waking, forgetting that she had eaten; and, the day after my father's 80th birthday party last summer, forgetting what she had done the day before. There have been lots of other examples. She no longer does the crossword (she used to do really difficult cryptic crosswords) or even reads books any more. On another thread, I saw the seven stages of dementia and would tentatively place my mother between stages 3 and 4 (ie, confusional).
She has been tested for UTIs and had a scan (not sure whether that was a CAT scan or MRI). She has also developed macular degeneration (although she is quite positive about this and says, 'oh, it's only in one eye'). She has to be coaxed to eat at the best of times because she has lost her sense of smell (and therefore of taste).
My father gets very cross with her inability to remember things. He knows it's pointless, so then feels guilty about getting cross, but doesn't seem able to stop himself. Sound familiar? He has also relied on her utterly to do the nurturing role, so I'm not sure if he has ever even realised that somebody has to buy the potatoes so that he can eat them!
Sorry, this is becoming a long post, but I wanted to set the picture before asking the questions:
1. How difficult is it to get a diagnosis? I suppose there must be some concern in medical circles for them to be sending her follow-up appointments for the memory clinic, but might they have chosen not to tell her yet?
2. How can I help? My parents believe they are usefully situated between their three sons in Cornwall and two daughters in London, but the truth is that they inconveniently situated for all of us. I will make sure I'm there for the next appointment in February, but what else can I do?
Again, my apologies for the length of the post.
Thanks
Hats
