Welcome to Dementia Talking Point! Find out more and say hello.

[SophieD]

Welcome to Dementia Talking Point

If you have dementia, or care for someone who does, you're very welcome to join our community and get support from others. Find out more about how to join and say hi to our friendly community on this discussion!

Finding out more

If you've got questions about how to use Dementia Talking Point click on these links below.

• You can find answers to frequently asked questions here.
• Our Help videos will show you how to navigate the different areas of Dementia Talking Point.
• We also have a Quick Guide explaining how to use Dementia Talking Point including logging in, posting, replying, checking private messages and searching.
• Also we recommend having a read through our Guidelines which are some useful tips and things to remember when posting.

Connecting with others

Head over to our list of forums to find people who are in a similar situation, people at a similar stage of dementia or an information topic that interests you.

Here are some tips on how to post a reply or start your own discussion...

1. When you're in a forum, look for the blue "Post New Thread" or "Reply" buttons at the top or bottom of discussions

2. To start a discussion, type a title, add your message and choose 'Create Thread'.

3. To add a reply just add your message and choose "Reply"

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Any questions?


If you have any questions about using Dementia Talking Point, you can email us on talkingpoint@alzheimers.org.uk or Use our Contact Form - we're here to help.

Saying hello

This is our welcome thread - the place many members start. Our volunteer hosts and regular members are here to say hello to you and to welcome you to our community.

Why not tell us a little about your experience and how you'd like Dementia Talking Point to help you?

Whatever you're facing today, we hope you find our community to be helpful and supportive.

Sophie

 

[Looseleaf]

Hi - I think this forum might be some support for me and to help my husband.

 

[nae sporran]

Hi - I think this forum might be some support for me and to help my husband.

Hullo and welcome to the forum, @Looseleaf. You will find the support and advice you need here, we are all dealing with similar things there's usually someone around who can empathise with you or better. Start your own thread or just let us know more about yourself on here when you feel ready.
If it is helpful and you haven't read them then the links at https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/publications-factsheets may be worth a look too.

 

[b011y]

Hello, both of my in-laws have dementia with other health problems. They are still in their own home, and we are trying to find help that will allow them to remain for as long as possible. My mum-in-law who is otherwise wonderful, will not brook any suggestion of someone ( a stranger ) coming into her home and taking over. They live in a small village in Oxfordshire, while all of us are at least a couple of hours away. Some advice how to slowly introduce help to them would be so welcome. Thanks in advance

 

[Bunpoots]

Welcome to Dementia Talking Point @b011y

I got my dad to accept help by telling him that a friend of mine was looking for a cleaning/gardening job. Would something like that work to start with?

While she was there she’d check he was ok, had taken his meds and had something to eat. Once through the door it was easy to add little jobs to her list.

 

[Jpcross]

Hi everyone I’m new to this I’m just trying to find my way around the site

 

[nae sporran]

Hi everyone I’m new to this I’m just trying to find my way around the site

Welcome to the forums Jpcross. You will find the support and advice you need here. If you need to ask specific questions about dementia or finding your way around we'll try to answer them here. Let us know more about your situation when you feel ready.

 

[e.pp99]

Hello. I live 271 miles away from my Grandma, who has dementia. She is in lock down with my aunt, who in my experience has not taken the best steps in helping my gran since her diagnosis. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do to support her other than call/facetime regularly when I can't physically be there? She's in the earlier stages and regularly becomes upset that she feels like she can't do things any more. She is very lonely, and particularly devastated that she can't be outdoors in the ways she wants to be. She has always been an avid gardener and very crafty. Advice greatly appreciated

 

[nae sporran]

Welcome to the forums @e.pp99. Sorry your gran is feeling so isolated with dementia and the lockdown. Calling is great for what it is worth and WhatsApp meant my partner could speak to her children on mothers day, so keep that up. Sadly with all the memory cafes and social groups shutting down there's not much more to do. Can your gran still get out in her garden for a bit of pottering about ? That is still better than nothing at all and so long as the neighbours stay at arms length I think it is still allowed.
Sorry that's not much of an answer. If you start a separate thread in the section I care for someone with dementia you should get better ideas.

 

[JohnnieMac]

Hello all,
My wife was diagnosed with early onset dementia 5 years ago when only 52. I stopped work to care for her full time in Oct 2017 having used live in and occasional workers to support her prior to that date. Speech and motor skills were the earliest impacts, but her memory remained good until the last year or so.

Until recently, she took great pleasure in walking her 2 spaniels every day across the local common, with a growing amount of physical support, but unfortunately mobility has become a problem now and it's quite impossible to get her in the car or even down a couple of steps. She is sleeping a lot more now, though I do have to wake her for various anti epilepsy treatments. (She started having fits around 2 years after her diagnosis).

We are still luckier than most in that we have downstairs bedrooms and toilets and a reasonably large shower, and access to the side garden which she loves, but every day is still a struggle. She's still eating well but has problems swallowing her tablets.

I'd appreciate contact/share especially if anyone is a carer to similar early onset suffers.

 

[karaokePete]

Hello @JohnnieMac, you are welcome here and I hope you find the forum to be a friendly and supportive place.

My wife is early onset, but was not as young as your wife at diagnosis. My wife is following the progression of mixed Alzheimer's/Vascular dementia.

I hope you have time to take a good look around the site as it is a goldmine for information. When I first joined I read old threads for information but then found the AS Publications list and the page where a post code search can be done to check for support services in ones own area. If you are interested in these, clicking the following links will take you there

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/publications-factsheets-full-list

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/find-support-near-you

You will see that there are Factsheets that will help with things like getting care needs assessments, deciding the level of care required and sorting out useful things like Wills, Power of Attorney etc., if any of that hasn't already been done. There is also a Dementia Guide in the list.

Now that you have found us I hope you will keep posting as the membership has vast collective knowledge and experience.

 

[Millie Molly]

Thank you for accepting me into your group

 

[e.pp99]

Welcome to the forums @e.pp99. Sorry your gran is feeling so isolated with dementia and the lockdown. Calling is great for what it is worth and WhatsApp meant my partner could speak to her children on mothers day, so keep that up. Sadly with all the memory cafes and social groups shutting down there's not much more to do. Can your gran still get out in her garden for a bit of pottering about ? That is still better than nothing at all and so long as the neighbours stay at arms length I think it is still allowed.
Sorry that's not much of an answer. If you start a separate thread in the section I care for someone with dementia you should get better ideas.

She does (thankfully) have a garden that she's been out in, its quite steep though. I know she would like to do some bits and pieces in her front garden which I think would be wiser but my aunt is quite insistent she only be in the back at the moment. Thank you for the advice

 

[JohnnieMac]

Hello. I live 271 miles away from my Grandma, who has dementia. She is in lock down with my aunt, who in my experience has not taken the best steps in helping my gran since her diagnosis. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do to support her other than call/facetime regularly when I can't physically be there? She's in the earlier stages and regularly becomes upset that she feels like she can't do things any more. She is very lonely, and particularly devastated that she can't be outdoors in the ways she wants to be. She has always been an avid gardener and very crafty. Advice greatly appreciated

 

[JohnnieMac]

Hi e.pp99,
Does your Grandma have a garden? If she has, there's nothing in the legislation to stop her going into the garden or outdoors as long as there's no more than 2 people. I have a similar problem with my wife, but the difficulty I have is getting her over the door step into the garden! We still manage somehow though, and just sitting outside seems to do her good.

 

[Bunpoots]

Welcome to the forum @Millie Molly

 

[JoCares]

Hi there, my names is Jo, I care for my elderly aunt whom has dementia, it takes me approx half an hour to drive to her house, I spend a few hours with her every day.
i am getting increasingly worried about obtaining food for her, I am worried that if we get on stricter lock down I may not be able to see her as much Or at all if I become ill, she only has me, I see on the gov website she doesn’t count as a vulnerable person where she could receive food packages etc. Does anyone have any advice please, thank you

 

[Fifilefemme]

Hi, my name is Fiona and my mum has been diagnosed with dementia 6 years. She lives with my dad in a flat not far from us and they are both quite active. I like to think I am a good listener and helper.

 

[nae sporran]

Hi there, my names is Jo, I care for my elderly aunt whom has dementia, it takes me approx half an hour to drive to her house, I spend a few hours with her every day.
i am getting increasingly worried about obtaining food for her, I am worried that if we get on stricter lock down I may not be able to see her as much Or at all if I become ill, she only has me, I see on the gov website she doesn’t count as a vulnerable person where she could receive food packages etc. Does anyone have any advice please, thank you

Welcome to the forums, Jo. These are scary times for everyone and magnified if you have to care for someone with dementia. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-s...rt-person-dementia-living-alone#content-start and links around there contains some helpful advice.
If you need any more advice then please keep posting and there is a specific area for covid 19 at https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/forums/coronavirus-covid-19.83/

 

[nae sporran]

Hi, my name is Fiona and my mum has been diagnosed with dementia 6 years. She lives with my dad in a flat not far from us and they are both quite active. I like to think I am a good listener and helper.

Hullo and welcome to the forums, Fiona. You will find support and advice here for yourself and your parents, so have a wee read around and post any questions you may need to ask.