Hi All,
I just wanted to warn anyone considering moving their relative with Dementia in with them that it can be absolute hell-on-earth- don't do it!
My Gran has lived with my parents for 10 years. She has needed constant supervision for the past five. It has severely limited (read: ruined) my parent's, my own and my brothers lives and I feel really angry that Dementia has affected our family in the way that it has.
If you take on a relative with dementia you should consider the following symptoms:
- Severe aggression- this can take the form of hitting, throwing, spitting, biting, verbal abuse
- Agitation and paranoia
- Incontinence- be prepared to glove up, clear soiled sheets, change nappies, wipe bums. (Clean poo from carpet, slippers, legs, fronts of toilet, sides of bath).
- Night-time wakefulness- at worst this can be 15+ times per night. In our case we now have a baby monitor and a falls mat, which sets off an alarm throughout the night- joy!
- Constant mindless chatter (Wernicke's aphasia) or mutism and an inability to understand basic requests
- Hallucinations and delusions
The burden of this condition is unbearable and I wish people who do not live with (or regularly care for) people with Dementia understood.
I just wanted to warn anyone considering moving their relative with Dementia in with them that it can be absolute hell-on-earth- don't do it!
My Gran has lived with my parents for 10 years. She has needed constant supervision for the past five. It has severely limited (read: ruined) my parent's, my own and my brothers lives and I feel really angry that Dementia has affected our family in the way that it has.
If you take on a relative with dementia you should consider the following symptoms:
- Severe aggression- this can take the form of hitting, throwing, spitting, biting, verbal abuse
- Agitation and paranoia
- Incontinence- be prepared to glove up, clear soiled sheets, change nappies, wipe bums. (Clean poo from carpet, slippers, legs, fronts of toilet, sides of bath).
- Night-time wakefulness- at worst this can be 15+ times per night. In our case we now have a baby monitor and a falls mat, which sets off an alarm throughout the night- joy!
- Constant mindless chatter (Wernicke's aphasia) or mutism and an inability to understand basic requests
- Hallucinations and delusions
The burden of this condition is unbearable and I wish people who do not live with (or regularly care for) people with Dementia understood.