This is my first time posting and I appreciate my concerns are minor to some but hopefully someone may have some helpful advice .....
My Mum who is now 87 was diagnosed with dementia about 2 ½ years ago and her decline has been (thankfully) really quite slow, she is still living independently and reasonably manages to do all her own chores i.e. washing & cleaning although she doesn’t eat very well (sandwiches & cakes) apart from when my sister or I cook for her then she has a really good appetite – I think she is afraid to use her cooker which I understand is common with other suffers .
Her memory is getting worse and she ‘knows’ it is she says it’s frightening which I’m sure it is and we as a family do our best to reassure her.
Sadly over the past few months she has become more and more lonely this is in part to the fact she doesn’t remember when she last had a visitor – as you can imagine this is upsetting for all of us as a family as my sister & nieces visit her several times a week for a cuppa or to take her shopping etc and whilst I live a long way from her I phone every day and visit every 6 weeks or so.
The other thing we are finding difficult is she doesn’t want to go out on her own to the social clubs she belongs to – she would go if my sister took her but as she works full time so can’t always be there. We have pointed out to Mum she could get a taxi which we could arrange but then she says she doesn’t want to waste money on a taxi which is ridiculous as she has no money worries at all and so the loneliness goes on !
Thanks for reading
My Mum who is now 87 was diagnosed with dementia about 2 ½ years ago and her decline has been (thankfully) really quite slow, she is still living independently and reasonably manages to do all her own chores i.e. washing & cleaning although she doesn’t eat very well (sandwiches & cakes) apart from when my sister or I cook for her then she has a really good appetite – I think she is afraid to use her cooker which I understand is common with other suffers .
Her memory is getting worse and she ‘knows’ it is she says it’s frightening which I’m sure it is and we as a family do our best to reassure her.
Sadly over the past few months she has become more and more lonely this is in part to the fact she doesn’t remember when she last had a visitor – as you can imagine this is upsetting for all of us as a family as my sister & nieces visit her several times a week for a cuppa or to take her shopping etc and whilst I live a long way from her I phone every day and visit every 6 weeks or so.
The other thing we are finding difficult is she doesn’t want to go out on her own to the social clubs she belongs to – she would go if my sister took her but as she works full time so can’t always be there. We have pointed out to Mum she could get a taxi which we could arrange but then she says she doesn’t want to waste money on a taxi which is ridiculous as she has no money worries at all and so the loneliness goes on !
Thanks for reading