Introducing myself (I am new to this)

Nana Pat

Registered User
Jul 25, 2010
3
0
Cambs
Hello

My name is Pat. My husband has young onset dementia and is currently being assessed in hospital. He has deteriorated rapidly in the last 4 weeks. He's been assessed as needing total care, and we are currently looking for a suitable care home. I am struggling with the situation, as his condition changed so quickly, and unexpectedly.

Has anybody else experienced such a huge decline in only 4 weeks?

Pat
:confused:
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
73,994
0
72
Dundee
Oh Pat. I'm so sorry you find yourself in this situation. I have no experience of this but I just wanted to say welcome. I know others with more experience will be along soon. Izzy x
 

CaPattinson

Registered User
May 19, 2010
11,730
0
West Yorks
Welcome Pat

Hi, what you're telling us sounds heartbreaking, horrific! Just saying hello until others come along who know what you're going through. Take care X Chris
 

sad nell

Registered User
Mar 21, 2008
3,190
0
bradford west yorkshire
My husband deteriated very quickly from pacing and never sitting down to now being totally imobile, He went into assesment ward and with in a week became doubly incontinent, these sudden rapid changes are usually caused by some infection, as your husband suffered a UTI or siezure recently,what age is your husband? my Trev was about 54 when i first knew something was wrong, ebixa has kept Trevs mood swings in control for past 3 years,If i can help in any way , please ask best wishes to you both Pam
 

danny

Registered User
Sep 9, 2009
3,342
0
cornwall/real name is Angela
Hi Pat,sorry to hear about your husband.

How long have you known he has had dementia,do you know what sort of dementia?

Dementia does affect everyone so differently.

Not much help I`m afraid,we are all here for you.

Kind regards,Angela.
 

TinaT

Registered User
Sep 27, 2006
7,097
0
Costa Blanca Spain
Hello my love,

I really feel for you. My husband also had early onset and also had a very serious and sudden decline. After struggling for a few years with him at home he then went into hospital on an assessment ward. I'm afraid the conditions on the ward were very, very difficult for both myself and my husband as there were some very violent patients and the ward was extremely regimented.

If your husband has been admitted under a section of the Mental Health Act he will not be allowed to go to residential care until the staff, consultant, etc., and yourself have had a thorough review of his condition and they are satisfied that any care home/specialist home will be able to cope with his behaviour.

My very best wishes to you during this most hard time. It is as you say such a shock for all this to have happened so suddenly. It took me years to accept what had happened almost overnight to our lives. Please do post as often as you wish. There are others such as myself who have experience of what you are going through and who you can lean on.

xxTinaT
 

leslin48

Registered User
Jun 26, 2010
48
0
middlesbrough
hi pat
my mum started with dementia a couple of years ago last september she got worse so she came to stay with me, but shehas really deterated in the last 4 weeks, she went into a care home yesterday my plan was to look for the best for her and as luck would happen the first one i seen was so lovely i didnt want to look for anymore its just opened and not far from were i live.
but the guilt is horrendous, i always promised her i would never put her in a home but i was on the edge of a breakdown and i also care for my disabled husband,so hopefully if she settles in the guilt might go and the tears will stop.
 

donkey

Registered User
Aug 16, 2009
1,225
0
sutton coldfield
my husband has early onset FTD, and he is 55 now, he can no longer have any kind of conversation and his mobility has been affected too . his memory is still quite good . it is very hard too cope with all this and most days i cant come too terms with it. you will get lots of support on tp like i have so keep chating you are not alone love lyn xx
 

lin1

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
9,350
0
East Kent
A welcome from me.

Ihave no experience with this,
but I hope you find the lovely people on TP as helpful as I have
 

florence43

Registered User
Jul 1, 2009
1,484
0
London
Hi Pat,

Welcome! Yes, I know what you're going through... My mum was diagnosed with early onset at 60 and has had ups and downs over the past 7 years, but she's never been aggressive. About 2 years ago she stopped speaking. It seemed really sudden but it was just after dad had a severe stroke, and her speech and the sense it made (or lack of) was going downhill anyway. However, all the massive changes and all the trauma surrounding dad's stroke really had a negative impact on mum's condition and she pretty much "shut down". After he died, in October last year, her life has been calm for the first time in 3 years and she has been very content but the words never came back.

5 weeks ago, rushed into hospital (found at the bottom of the stairs) and it would seem she had a very bad UTI. Discharged 4 times and back in 4 times, with a 2nd UTI in 2 weeks. All in all she was in hospital for 4 weeks and moved into a Nursing Home last Friday.

So rapid! No time to take it in! I'm still under the impression that this sudden deterioration can be "reversed" as such if the antibiotics works, but no luck so far, hence the Nursing Home.

But I posted a similar question recently and it would seem these infections can send someone spiraling, so I would get it looked into, as some of my replies also suggested that if they are treated effectively, the recovery is also very positive.

Best of luck and stay in touch,

Annie x
 

Nana Pat

Registered User
Jul 25, 2010
3
0
Cambs
It's a few weeks now since I posted on this site. My husband is now in a care home full time and has undergone a massive decline since June 25th when he went into hospital for assessment. He has lost two stone and is now incontinent. I don't understand how it has all happened so quickly or why.

Pat
 

Nana Pat

Registered User
Jul 25, 2010
3
0
Cambs
It's a few weeks now since I posted on this site. My husband is now in a care home and is declining rapidly. He has lost two stone and is now incontinent and it was only June 25th when he went into hospital for 'assessment'. I don't understand why or how it has happened so quickly. Nana Pat
 

Vonny

Registered User
Feb 3, 2009
4,584
0
Telford
Hi Pat, sadly dementia is unfathomable. There is no set progression of the illness - every case is different although I believe that young onset can be quite rapid in some cases.

I'm so sorry that your husband has deteriorated so quickly. He may now plateau and stay the same for some time, he may even pick up for a while or he may continue to decline.

We are here for you whatever happens. xx
 

JPG1

Account Closed
Jul 16, 2008
3,391
0
Hello Pat,

Yes, the kind of decline you describe can happen sometimes. Ours was within 9 months, so slightly longer time to adjust our thinking to it all than you’ve had.

Do you have any support, via your GP or your Social Worker or via your local Alzheimer's Support Group? If not, all I would suggest is that you ask about any support/help structures that may be available to you locally. It may depend on where you live, but they sometimes are very useful.

Has your GP/Consultant/Doctor carried out any recent blood tests to exclude any other possible contributing factors? They are so important, these blood tests, to include or to exclude anything that could be ‘dumping’ on the body-coping-systems of anyone.

Stick with it, Pat, and ask as many questions as you can think of.

Take care of yourself too, along the way.
 

Norrms

Registered User
Feb 19, 2009
5,631
0
Torquay Devon
Hiya

Hiya pat and welcome to TP. I myself have early onset dementia and a quick progression of getting worse is something i always fear. I know it does happen as my older step brother (same father) went downhill so fast at the age of 56 but sorry, not as fast as your dear husband is expieriencing. This is such a horrid disease and my heart goes out to you, please know that we aRE ALL HERE FOR YOU WHENEVER YOU WANT TO TALK, SENDING ALL OUR LOVE, BEST WISHES, nORRMS AND FAMILY XXXXXXXXXX
 

MrsP

Registered User
Mar 19, 2005
115
0
My Dad had a severe and rapid decline 2 years ago, when he went from being able to walk and talk one day to being unresponsive the next. He has never regained his speech or mobility since, and went into an assessment unit followed by a nursing home. He is more awake, but not the same as he was prior to the episode. I believe that it was triggered by illness, as others have stated, but who knows what is going on inside his head to cause such a drastic change. I believe there are no definitive answers to our questions, which is why this illness is so very cruel. I found that Dad's time in the assessment unit was the hardest to deal with. I hope you find some support knowing that others have been through it, and my thoughts are with you.

Kate x.