Vascular Dementia

[JSpil]

My partner was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia 14 months ago … The last couple of months I am noticing a vast difference in him .. Apart from memory he seems very tired during the daytime hours and has little or no interest in things ..
He does watch TV but the same things over again … Concentration is very poor and asking me different things all day long , the most basic of tasks seem very difficult to him … Is this the norm ? Even appearance doesn’t bother him anymore which is sad …. 😢

 

[sdmhred]

Hello @JSpil
im sorry to hear about your partner’s diagnosis. My mum also has vascular dementia. She was diagnosed 2 years ago when she was probably at the point ur partner is now.
The things you describe resonate with me. In fact the apathy and mindless TV alerted my now late Dad that something was wrong with mum.
Dementia is a difficult path, but this is a very friendly and supportive place so do stick around for advice, support and friendship.

 

[JSpil]

Hello @JSpil
im sorry to hear about your partner’s diagnosis. My mum also has vascular dementia. She was diagnosed 2 years ago when she was probably at the point ur partner is now.
The things you describe resonate with me. In fact the apathy and mindless TV alerted my now late Dad that something was wrong with mum.
Dementia is a difficult path, but this is a very friendly and supportive place so do stick around for advice, support and friendship.

Thank you … Even though I have grown up children, my hubby and I moved to a semi rural location 7 years ago and now I feel a bit lonely some days .

 

[sdmhred]

Yes being a carer can be a lonely place. I looked after my mum for 2 years and she has just moved to residential. I realised that many days I never had a conversation, and unless people have experIended dementia they really don’t understand. I find this such a safe, warm place to be around.

 

[genevieve 76]

My partner was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia 14 months ago … The last couple of months I am noticing a vast difference in him .. Apart from memory he seems very tired during the daytime hours and has little or no interest in things ..
He does watch TV but the same things over again … Concentration is very poor and asking me different things all day long , the most basic of tasks seem very difficult to him … Is this the norm ? Even appearance doesn’t bother him anymore which is sad …. 😢

Hi, husband has vascular dementia and alzheimers he had a stroke 3 years ago and another one in January, he is now bedbound, he also is interested in nothing, watching same movies, over and over, I think because his concentration has gone, he finds anything new too tiring. He has definitely gone downhill over the past few months. If you read posts on here regularly it seems with dementia anything goes. There is no norm. My husband was a very well dressed man, he always wore suits and people remarked on how smart he always was. I can barely manage to get him to wear clothes nowadays. This disease just takes everything away.

 

[jennifer1967]

my husband was diagnosed 3 years ago with vascular dementia. hes deteriated since then with the last year. he has copd as well so that sometimes limits what he can do. his concentration has gone down. film plots are too complicated. he used to do word search which went in the first year. he zones out when he cant follow conversations. ive done his meds, shower him and help him to dress. he has started to repeat questions. vascular tends to go down in steps. it will be the same for a while then a big step down then carry on again. its hard going but this forum really is supportive and friendly.

 

[Suzysheep01]

My mum sounds much the same. Sleeps a lot during the day.
with vascular dementia they seem to take steps down, plateau then take a downturn again. She also hates showering now… and couldn’t care less about what she wears.
her short term memory is completely gone now too.

 

[extoyboy]

Its been 2 years since my wife's formal mixed Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia diagnosis and she'll happily watch the same TV shows over and over again.

I've seen the entire output of the Great TV channel more times than a sane person could ever stand and could probably take M*A*S*H as my specialist Mastermind subject

 

[Gandalf's Helper]

My wife has had vascular dementia for about 2 years now, before this she was involved with the local church, taught english as a foriegn language, was an accomplished local artist and enjoyed reading. Now she makes no sense at all sometimes when talking, refuses to wash or change her clothes. She hardly eats anything but will eat sweet things with no issue. It is utterly heartbreaking sometimes and makes me want to scream but there are times when lucidity descends and she is almost back to her old self. So I would say this is the norm I would just keep doing what you do and not let it get to you too much

 

[MatthewB]

I'm got them vascular dementia too but its don't make you be mean cause the nice ones here was tell me that so that is good bright side on that one is scary some stuff this talk is saying start with stroke and is get some more crazy after that and got that continence and that is a mess and is nobody want you to walk in them woods no more cause falling down gets fractured but I'm can clean myself ever to trouble somebody with that but them underwears so spend spend expensive I'm praying you can feel more better we don't mean to be so many trouble to people I'm fear afraid to get that way

 

[Mal7]

My mum sounds much the same. Sleeps a lot during the day.
with vascular dementia they seem to take steps down, plateau then take a downturn again. She also hates showering now… and couldn’t care less about what she wears.
her short term memory is completely gone now too.

Everything you say is how my OH is now
For a month or so he has been putting some of his meds in a bin, down the toilet or in his trouser pocket. He's on a lot of meds as he also has heart failure. He also gets up so late lately..at about 4 or 6 pm. I knkw he gets up durimg the night and sometimes is up early in the morning but goes back to bed. He'll eat just one small meal but still drinks loads of tea or decaff coffee. I know we shouldn't but I look back to what he was like even just a week ago and he has gone downhill. Yes it's true regarding what you say about steps down, plateau then taking a downturn again. It's so hard to know what to do or who to see. I really feel so alone and low at times. But then the OH will have a near 'normal' day and it lifts me again. Thank you for letting me vent a bit. Bless you.

 

[jennifer1967]

Everything you say is how my OH is now
For a month or so he has been putting some of his meds in a bin, down the toilet or in his trouser pocket. He's on a lot of meds as he also has heart failure. He also gets up so late lately..at about 4 or 6 pm. I knkw he gets up durimg the night and sometimes is up early in the morning but goes back to bed. He'll eat just one small meal but still drinks loads of tea or decaff coffee. I know we shouldn't but I look back to what he was like even just a week ago and he has gone downhill. Yes it's true regarding what you say about steps down, plateau then taking a downturn again. It's so hard to know what to do or who to see. I really feel so alone and low at times. But then the OH will have a near 'normal' day and it lifts me again. Thank you for letting me vent a bit. Bless you.

if its a sudden thing like you said last week, have you checked he hasnt got water infection? that can send them very confused/sleepy. my husband has vascular dementia too for 4 years diagnosed 3 years ago. he only has to sit in his chair and he nods off. its only natural to look back to the way it was and what it is now. i do it but try to live in the day/moment.

 

[TessB]

My mum has Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. She seems to have deteriorated quickly too. She has gone from being able to mobilise with a walking frame and wash herself to sitting down all day. Doctor diagnosed a level of heart failure on 24th Nov and mum had a TIA on 1st December. We now have carers coming in three times a day.

 

[Anthoula]

My OH was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia nearly 4 years ago. He can still shower and dress himself, but his immediate memory has been non-existent for a long time and his intermediate memory is very patchy, while his long term memory is increasingly very confused. To date he still sleeps well at night, but from about 5.30 for a couple of hours he gets up every half an hour to go to the toilet, but the minute he returns to bed he falls straight back to sleep. Watches absolutely anything on television, even if he has seen it a hundred times. Can not really properly undertake many tasks without clear instruction and supervision. His speech is beginning to suffer as he struggles to remember words and pronounce them correctly. I look at OH and he is the man I first knew, but then he tries to converse or do something and he is someone completely different, someone I really do not know at all.

 

[Cerisy]

Gosh, about the same symptoms my wife is at - although we haven’t got a diagnosis yet. Hard, but she’s still the lovely person I married 50 years ago. I appreciate it’ll only get more difficult.

 

[jennifer1967]

my husband was diagnosed 3 years ago with vasc. dementia and hes been having trouble finding thed right word or uses the wrong word. he gets frustrated when he cant get the word so i ask him to describe it, another word meaning the same, and slow down. i also say it will come back and it generally does when he calms down.

 

[SarahJC]

Hi, my mum has vascular dementia/ Alzheimer symptoms and we have found it is a journey of some stability and making changes to support her in the home and then sudden deterioration which throws me and my sister into almost an unmanageable situation looking after her. But what we have learnt is that we can adjust but for how long we don't know.
Over time all her hobbies and interests are no longer possible for her. She recently fell and really deteriorated and was not eating and was sleeping most of the time but she has picked up again however her memory has worsened and mobility is poor.
At times she will become restless in the evening and is often related to worrying about her dog and needing to feed her or to go 'home'. Someone on the forum mentioned that they felt like 'Zebedee' up/down and i can certainly relate the that at times.
My mum needs help with normal basic care needs now and can be quiet, thoughtful and conversation is limited.
But one thing that helps bring her around at times is music! She loved a wide range of music from classical to heavy rock and everything in between. At present it is Bruce Springsteen 'Dancing in the Dark' and make her feel happy in herself, although sometimes be too much to bear for those caring for her.