Hi, it's my first time posting and I'm sorry if this is a bit of a ramble but I'm just looking for some advice or info from those of you with experience of this awful illness.
My Aunt was diagnosed with Alzheimer's around 6 or 7 years ago.
No very specific information was given - I couldn't even say which form of Alzheimer's she has. She was given medication, sent home and more or less left to get on with it.
My parents - who fortunately live next door to her - care for her as best they can (they're in their 70's and were already looking after her as she has MS, also - which she also has been left to get on with after diagnosis) - I help out where I can, and stay at their place from time to time while they go away on the very rare, and very short breaks they take from time to time, but, as I'm sure many of you will know, her illness has had a huge, and quite restrictive, impact on their lives.
Through our own research, which took ages, we've ended up arranging for a homecare service two or three times a week, to help her shower, as she wasn't even washing.
She's incontinent (bladder, though she has the odd accident with her bowels), won't eat much "proper" food (she'd scoff sweet things all day if she could, though), her short term memory is very bad, and she rarely if ever knows the day of the week. Yesterday when she woke up she asked if it was morning or night time.
She does recognise us though and there are many other symptoms listed for the illness that she doesn't seem to fit (although it's like that with her MS, too!)
My question is, does anyone recognise this stage in it's progression? Because I think my parents are totally unprepared for what might come next - they're doing their very best but they have no understanding of it other than watching it unfold and haven't been given any advice - every so often my Mum rings the GP and gets him to book in a home visit to my Aunt, otherwise no check on her health would be done at all, but all he does is check her blood pressure.
Sorry if this is overlong, but I'm trying to get a better idea of how I can help all three of them, really
My Aunt was diagnosed with Alzheimer's around 6 or 7 years ago.
No very specific information was given - I couldn't even say which form of Alzheimer's she has. She was given medication, sent home and more or less left to get on with it.
My parents - who fortunately live next door to her - care for her as best they can (they're in their 70's and were already looking after her as she has MS, also - which she also has been left to get on with after diagnosis) - I help out where I can, and stay at their place from time to time while they go away on the very rare, and very short breaks they take from time to time, but, as I'm sure many of you will know, her illness has had a huge, and quite restrictive, impact on their lives.
Through our own research, which took ages, we've ended up arranging for a homecare service two or three times a week, to help her shower, as she wasn't even washing.
She's incontinent (bladder, though she has the odd accident with her bowels), won't eat much "proper" food (she'd scoff sweet things all day if she could, though), her short term memory is very bad, and she rarely if ever knows the day of the week. Yesterday when she woke up she asked if it was morning or night time.
She does recognise us though and there are many other symptoms listed for the illness that she doesn't seem to fit (although it's like that with her MS, too!)
My question is, does anyone recognise this stage in it's progression? Because I think my parents are totally unprepared for what might come next - they're doing their very best but they have no understanding of it other than watching it unfold and haven't been given any advice - every so often my Mum rings the GP and gets him to book in a home visit to my Aunt, otherwise no check on her health would be done at all, but all he does is check her blood pressure.
Sorry if this is overlong, but I'm trying to get a better idea of how I can help all three of them, really