My Dad is being assessed

[Xeenies]

I'm crying my eyes out tonight as my Dad is being assessed for Alzeimers. I've always put things he does down to anxiety or depression... Lack of confidence etc but having recently gone on a holiday with him with mum I can see something is very wrong.

I would really be keen to hear what early symptoms others saw.. I'm praying he is depressed and suffering from anxiety, my heart is breaking and I don't have anyone to talk to.

 

[stanleypj]

You've come to the right place for help and advice Xeenies. Welcome.

A problem, as you may know, is that depression and anxiety can sometimes produce dementia-like symptoms.

Perhaps if you shared some of the things that convinced you something was very wrong, we would have a clearer picture. Although, of course, no-one on TP would attempt to give you a diagnosis, people might be able to tell you about their own experiences.

It took 12 years for my wife to get a diagnosis and depression kept cropping up as a possible cause of her cognitive problems though no-one who knew her felt that she was suffering from depression. So diagnosis can be very difficult.

Often the most important questions are: What can the person do/not do? How might they be helped? These will still be the key issues whatever the medics decide.

In any event, you will get massive support on TP.

Take care

 

[Lindy50]

Hello Xeenies and welcome to TP

I am so sorry to hear of your dad's condition. I do know what you mean about anxiety and depression....somehow they seem more acceptable than Alzheimer's, even though they can be just as distressing and difficult for the person concerned .......However, what's most important is how the illness affects a person, and this is different in every case.

I do hope the assessment goes well and that you are able to keep posting on here - there is a massive amount of support, it's like a huge community

All the best

Lindy xx

 

[Xeenies]

You've come to the right place for help and advice Xeenies. Welcome.

A problem, as you may know, is that depression and anxiety can sometimes produce dementia-like symptoms.

Perhaps if you shared some of the things that convinced you something was very wrong, we would have a clearer picture. Although, of course, no-one on TP would attempt to give you a diagnosis, people might be able to tell you about their own experiences.

It took 12 years for my wife to get a diagnosis and depression kept cropping up as a possible cause of her cognitive problems though no-one who knew her felt that she was suffering from depression. So diagnosis can be very difficult.

Often the most important questions are: What can the person do/not do? How might they be helped? These will still be the key issues whatever the medics decide.

In any event, you will get massive support on TP.

Take care

Thank you for your response. I guess there are lots of things but the main ones would be increased anxiety, repeatedly asking the same questions and just general weird things like last night we got back from holiday, at gatwick, he wanted to walk straight through when we still had luggage to collect and looking at the signs for the train station even though he had only spoken to my uncle 5 minutes previously confirming we needed picking up.

 

[stanleypj]

Thanks Xeenies. The things you mention are often seen as dementia symptoms which is presumably why your dad is being assessed. Depression can co-exist with dementia of course and certainly doesn't improve the situation.

While you are waiting for the assessment it might help if you and your mum do everything you can to try to lessen any anxiety, though I expect you're doing that already. And it isn't easy.

I hope you will find, as many people do, that as time goes by you gradually learn how to cope with whatever comes along. Again, I've found TP an enormous help with this.

 

[Xeenies]

So interesting looking at this old thread, close to 5 years later and dads now in the advanced stages me Alzheimer’s and my hearts still breaking. I heard my boyfriend describe my dad as “****ed” tonight on the phone and he just doesn’t understand why I got upset. We are now fighting medical team who want him on anti psychotics he’s had adverse reactions from before. He’s so confused and agitated and now we have the lovely time of finding a care home, so hard when you have a dad who’s only 72, got it early and is young at heart