Maggie posted under the "My Family Tells it Like it Is" thread, but I wanted to start a separate welcome thread for her. She wrote:
MachonnoldCommentTime33 minutes ago edit delete This came at such a timely moment for me. One of the group members told me about this website. I am caring for my husband who is stage 2 to 3, depending on the day. I have been so stuggling with trying to decide if I can really tell how he is or if I am just filling in the gaps because we have been married for so long and I know him so well. I still haven't decided. At the moment he is home...is not incontenient, has delusions and some time at night hallucinations, he is getting somewhat crankie but not aggressive, he gets worse at night. He will eat what i give him, can feed himslef but not fix his own plate, will dress himself but his hygeine needs assist. My 19 years old grandson lives with us and helps to take care of Gpa when I am at work. What I have begun to do (again), is try to get out budget in line. We do not have nursing home insurance and I have no idea who I would pay for him to be there full time unless I were to sell everything we own. I have investigated the VA but that will also cost. There is a local nursing home that provides a 9 hour day care for 50$ a day and i could do that, if i can get the budget down to where we just live on my salary. I get so depressed and impatient. Our children do not live close and are not any help. i have given up on them. Thank God for Grandson John. And thank God I found this site. maggie Honnold, Casey, Illinois
divviCommentTime17 minutes ago edited edit delete welcome Maggie to this site of very helpful and caring spouses who care for a dementia spouse. you are in the early stages and there is much to get done legally, financially and get your ducks in a row before needed. you can become overwhelmed with looking into the future so sometimes its good just to try to concentrate on the first things first idea. i beleive there is a good list somewhere joan has on the home page of things to get done once they are diagnosed. its nice you have grandson to help out but at 19 they do need a life and lots of respite time. as much as they are loving and want to help its a very tuff day to be caregiver at that age -and you working then coming home to caregiving responsibilities is very hard for you as well. you will find lots of helpful folks here who can offer advice when needed and a hug or shoulder to cry on and vent out loud. we have many gripes and complaints and nobody but those here really hear you loud and clear. divvi
Welcome to my website, which I started in 2007, because I needed a place that dealt with my unique issues as a spouse of an Alzheimer patient. It is now a place of comfort for spouses/partners who are trying to cope with the Alzheimer's/dementia of their husband/wife/partner. The issues we face in dealing with a spouse/partner with this disease are so different from the issues faced by children and grandchildren caregivers. We discuss all of those issues here - loss of intimacy; social contact; conversation; anger; resentment; stress; and pain of living with the stranger that Alzheimer's Disease has put in place of our beloved spouse/partner.
The message boards are only part of this website. Please be sure to log onto the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com - and read all of the resources on the left side. I recommend starting with "Newly Diagnosed/New Member" and "Understanding the Dementia Experience". There is also a comprehensive financial section. If it applies to you and your spouse, there are 4 sections for EOAD (early onset AD- now called YOUNG onset- those diagnosed under age 65) members - two of which focus on the young teens whose parents have EOAD There is a great section on informative videos, and another excellent resource - Early Onset Dementia - A Practical Guide. You can go to the top of this page, click on "search", and type in EOAD, making sure the "topic" circle is filled in. All of the EOAD discussions will come up - there are about a dozen of them.
Do not miss the "previous blog" section. It is there you will find a huge array of topics with which you can relate. There is a "search" feature on the home page that allows you to look up different topics that may have been explored in a previous blog. Log onto the home page daily for new blogs; news updates; important information.
A big hearty welcome to you, Maggie. So sorry you need to be here, but so happy you found us! We are a loving, generous, compassionate group - the best place to be. You can rant, vent, ask questions - someone probably has been there, done that. We also give lots of hugs. (((HUGS)))
Hi Maggie, let me be one of the first to welcome you to your new virtual support group. I’m sad that you have to be here, but since you do it’s a good place to be. We are a good group of people who understand what each other are going through. You can come here to vent, cry, let us know how your day went, learn how others cope & to actually laugh (we have some very humorous people here). So come back often & share with us because we understand.
Welcome Maggie...this site helps hold your hand through the scary parts of this Alzheimer's Journey. Then in time you will be able to "pay it forward" to others.
Welcome Maggie-I think we are friends on facebook already-so I know how things have been going for you.I am bak on here(Betty Kelley) on facebook. This is a great site and they don't yell at you when you VENT a lot!! Just know that all the things you are dealing with-someone here has been there too and will understand and share there caregiver tips .
Welcome Maggie. My husband gets his medical through the VA. When the time comes we will make use of anything we can from the VA. When it comes time to go into an AD facility it will be the VA. We will have to apply for medicaid which the VA accepts.
thank you everyone for the generous welcome. I have lots of reading and learning to do. I am going to hit the sack early tonight as my husband is already asleep. i will share more later. Once again, thank you.
Maggie, I am glad that you found us, the greatest support group in the world!! Greatest cyber family you could ask for!!! We help one another anytime day or night.
Welcome Maggie...you have come to the right place. There isn't anything you can't share with us. We never stand in judgment of each other, there is always someone that comes by to give you advise on how to handle a situation. There just is not enough time for me to tell you how much you will appreciate this site.
Welcome Maggie, this is an amazing place. Just recently became part myself. I had looked at the site when my DH was in early stages. I felt like everyone was so much more advanced then he was at the time, and some of the posts really scared me. Well he is stage 7 now, and now I feel he is more advanced than a lot of posts I now read. So there is a lot of experience here and we all eventually find where we fit.