Hello

[Blimey]

Hi

I am new to this forum and the topic of dementia. My mother came to stay with us 7 weeks ago and she started on medication 3 weeks ago. She had fainted while at the shops and was in no condition to look after herself. I had originally thought she might improve enough to go home but I now think this is unlikely. Having read some of the posts I am not sure if I feel reassured or more scared for what the future holds.

 

[Chemmy]

Hello Blimey

Welcome to Talking Point. Sorry you've had to find us here, but as you will have seen from reading other posts, TP can provide both advice and support.

The realisation of what might lie ahead is very daunting. Have you had a chance to look at the factsheets yet? That's as good a place as any to start; please come back to the forum with any questions whenever you wish.

Perhaps the first major (and it is major) decision you have to make is whether or not you want to have her living with you 24/7. If the answer's no - and the whole family needs to be honest about this - this is the time to say so.

 

[Izzy]

Hi and welcome. Has your mum had a needs assessment? If not it might be a useful thing to organise. You should also get a carer's assessment if you haven't already had one. Both can be organised by phoning the Social Work department.

I'm presuming your mum has a diagnosis of some form of dementia. Is the medication in relation to this?

You will get heaps of support and help here. X

 

[Blimey]

Thanks Chemmy for the thought on what happens next. I will work through the link you provided, our gut reaction is that she will stay with us but I can see from other posts that this is not a decision to take lightly.

 

[Chemmy]

I can see from other posts that this is not a decision to take lightly.

It certainly isn't. Read as many posts, ask as many questions as you can before you commit.

 

[Blimey]

Thanks Izzy

Yes the medication is Aricept for mild to moderate dementia but is causing stomach upset. Mum is not officially living with us yet and is from a different county so I don't think I can register for anything but I will bear the assessments in mind for after we have registered her with our GP.

 

[chucky]

Hi Blimey, if i had known what caring for a dementia sufferer would entail i'd have run to the other side of the country. I was totally naive about dementia and had no idea at all what i was about to endure when my dad fell ill. However, not everyone experiences what i and many others have, we are all different and the illness affects people in different ways too. Some people are easier to handle than others and some people are better carers than others. Theres no set rules but it is good to get an idea of what to expect along the way, and there are factsheets here that can give you lots of good advice. Im 7 years into the journey with my dad and have completely accepted my situation, theres not much that fazes me now, but i can remember every day of the 3 years i cared for my dad at home. In my case it was a living hell but with the benefit of hindsight i see now theres was wealth of support i could have had but didnt know about. Thats the good thing about TP, we're all on the same journey but at different levels so theres always plenty of good advice from someone who's just came through the same thing. You can ask anything you want, no one will judge you and you can share as much or as little of your journey as you want. You may not think so right now but sometimes you can have a good laugh too. So welcome and jump aboard.