My Mum has had vascular dementia for probably 6-8 years. Reading through the posts of others she is doing ok for the moment. Her memory is seriously impaired, she cannot recall things that happened two minutes ago, or concentrate for any length of time. Her recollection of times past is also becoming muddled or fading completely. We have been through a period when she was verbally aggressive, when she did not realise anything was wrong. Now I think she knows something is wrong & this leads to her sometimes becoming argumentative over simple things I have reminded her to do. I have had to give up work to care for her as she cannot be left alone now. I also have to lock the door & keep the key with me as she once wandered off & couldn't find her way back, luckily I found her. She packs her bags a couple of times a day to 'go home' although she lives with me & has done so for almost 30 years. Her appetite has just started to show signs of reducing, & she is resisting using her knife with her food often using her hand to push food onto her fork. I try to take her out every day for either a walk or a drive and sit with her every afternoon while she watches her fav. TV program. I am trying hard to learn everything I can about dementia/alzheimers to prepare for what is to come, but I feel quite overwhelmed sometimes by everything I Don't know. I have applied for LPA's for both welfare/finance in preparation for the future. I don't live close to my siblings who are not much use with caring anyway. I just want to do the best I can for my Mother, but with no prior experience of this I wonder if I am up to it. Merrymaid
