I know that technology is not something exclusively used by the younger people involved with dementias [my Dad is a real geek at 79!] but this is probably the best place to put this thread.
Although I have worked with computers since 1965, it was only since my wife started to show symptoms of Early Onset Dementia that I found a PC to be truly indispensible, for:
- learning more about the dementias
- learning more about the treatments
- sending for emergency prescriptions in the night
- ordering food from Tesco when unable to leave the house for weeks on end
- keeping in contact with family and friends
- keeping a precise diary of my wife's symptoms [so helpful when later seeing consultants] [page 300 about to come up]
- maintaining a record of her life, for me and for the youngsters who will never know her
- writing letters to the 'authorities'
- producing photographs to place on the walls of her room
- etc [there are more but I should really be working at the moment!]
Does anyone else have similar experiences?
By the way, I bought my first digital camera 4 years ago because my wife would forget what we had done in the day. I would photograph all kinds of things [even nice cakes for example], and print them out at the end of the day so we could relive things and I could try and prompt her memory. Invaluable, as it also enabled me to chronicle our last days together and that was so important.
Although I have worked with computers since 1965, it was only since my wife started to show symptoms of Early Onset Dementia that I found a PC to be truly indispensible, for:
- learning more about the dementias
- learning more about the treatments
- sending for emergency prescriptions in the night
- ordering food from Tesco when unable to leave the house for weeks on end
- keeping in contact with family and friends
- keeping a precise diary of my wife's symptoms [so helpful when later seeing consultants] [page 300 about to come up]
- maintaining a record of her life, for me and for the youngsters who will never know her
- writing letters to the 'authorities'
- producing photographs to place on the walls of her room
- etc [there are more but I should really be working at the moment!]
Does anyone else have similar experiences?
By the way, I bought my first digital camera 4 years ago because my wife would forget what we had done in the day. I would photograph all kinds of things [even nice cakes for example], and print them out at the end of the day so we could relive things and I could try and prompt her memory. Invaluable, as it also enabled me to chronicle our last days together and that was so important.