I knew a couple of weeks ago that my DH was getting worse and guessed that the New Year would be more of the same. His paranoia has been showing up again, he is more confused and doesn't seem to know where he is or what he is doing half the time. When he does talk he really isn't making any sense. Last night he was talking about a TV show he watched with Jean...that's me! He looked at his watch and saw it was 7.30 and asked it it was 7.30 in there...the kitchen! This morning he got up and told me he was going to have to give up working. He is 83 years old and retired in 1990. I told him that was okay and then he said he doesn't know what work he did. Right now he has taken his pills and gone back to bed so who knows how he will be when he gets up again. I am starting to wonder if it is okay to leave him alone when I have to go to the store.
I have a CNA coming in on the second Monday of the month when I have my women's circle meeting and then have the CNA come on Wednesdays so I can go the store or have my doctor's appointments on Wednesdays but sometimes I need to go the store when the CNA isn't here, today I was planning on going for bread, potatoes and maybe some salad. Last week I sent a letter to his neuro telling him about the changes so I am waiting to hear from him and since then DH is even worse. So far he can still do his ADL's but who knows how long that will last.
Well, that's it for now! I have to go check the washing machine and then take my shower. Hope you all have a peaceful day.
jean if you are worrying over leaving him alone unattended then its probably time not to leave him. youseem to have a cna in place already maybe add another day or try to organize your shopping times around your days out. *i have the same problem and cant just leave to go get milk, etc. ) so i have to make sure i get everything in one time out for the week. this is the time they can wander when they get confused and go looking for us. i hope your dr gets back with you soon. sounds like another medication adjustment is coming. good luck
Jean21--from the level of confusion you have described, I'd say it is probably not good to leave your husband alone. It is a difficult transition to go through, but you are better off taking this step and avoiding a potential crisis.
Jean, it's time for some creative cooking. When I'm out of something, I find a substitute. It may not be what you usually eat, but it's surprising what combinations you can come up with when you clean out the freezer. Of course, it helps that my husband doesn't remember what he had to eat at his last meal so I can serve the same thing several times in a row. And, fortunately, he doesn't remember that he doesn't like broccoli or sweet potatoes.
divvi, I figured DH needed a med adjustment, now if the letter got past the neuro's nurse maybe we will get some action.
DH is up again and back to his "normal" AD self. Someday someone will figure out this disease and we can all relax. NOT! He did say we may have to move to another place because we don't know about the people here. I have no idea what that is supposed to mean and I didn't ask.
Lori, DH eats anything and I do mean anything. I am the picky eater. Part of the problem is buying so stuff doesn't go bad before it's used. I don't know why they can't sell smaller bags of potatoes instead of 5lb bags. I love it when the specials are bogo free. If one is too much why would I want two!!!!
Jean, my hubby in same place since New Years too. I have someone with him 2 hours a day so he gets lunch. (Still working full time and no choice need $$) Had a CNA and it was a disaster, have reached out to Modern Maturity Center here for help in getting someone for house. TV broke last night and so I just called home and DH asked what did I do to the TV ? I said "I broke it", faster explaination. Would use local Day Care for him if he'd go, EOAD people do have a longer "knowing" phase it seems. A curse and a blessing, all depends on the day which I think it is.
Jean I agree about the BOGOs. If one roast is two much what would I do with two. On simple sale items the store I go to is gracious about breaking down packages into usable amounts.
Terry54--I know what you mean about EOAD patients. I think it is because we all are used to being with our peers. In the earlier stages, EOAD patients can recognize when they are being put in with people 20-30 years older, and it's the first time in their lives that has happened in a "social" setting.
DH's neuro called this afternoon. He is giving DH a different pill...Nuedexta, I have to reduce the Seroquel from 75 to 50 when DH starts on the new one which won't be until next week. The pharmacy called and they won't have the pill until Monday afternoon. I googled Nuedexta and it seems to me that it is prescribed for people who can't control laughing or crying, who knows what it does for Alz!
The one thing that bothers me with the neuro is, he keeps saying DH should be in ALF. I have told him the ALF's here want a few thousand up front and I would have to furnish the room/s. I told him I would prefer to save the money and use it for a nursing home when and if DH needs to be there. He suggested that the VA might help with paying for an ALF , which I doubt because we have too much money and I know they aren't going to supply furniture. Some people think that because a person served 25 years in the military they can and will get all they help they may need. It doesn't work that way from the things I have checked.
It took me by surprize when, a couple of weeks ago, H referred to me by my name and called me "her". Similar to your situation, N thinks H should be in an ALF now, as does the care manager. However, neither can really say how I am supposed to get him there.
They say H will experience apathy and will not care if he is here or in an ALF. Currently, I see no signs of this apathy.
marilyn, I could not agree more with your response to Terry54. Without this apathy, H is, at this time, going to know, no matter how nice the ALF, that he is among persons at least 20 years older than he is. To credit her honesty, the admissions director said the average resident is older than my parents, who are in their late 70's.
JudithKB, You can retire from the military and still not get VA benefits. The biggie is if you have a service connected disability and my DH doesn't. A lady in my circle tried to get VA benefits for her husband and couldn't. He served in the military and some of the women in the circle were surprised she couldn't get VA benefits. He served for 3 years and didn't have the SCD, when I told them my DH served 25 years and he couldn't get the benefits they were shocked. We could get treatment at a base if we were close to one, other than that it is Medicare and Tricare. Tricare pays for the prescriptions with a co-pay from us.
I used to work midnights stocking freight at WalMart because I figured he would sleep all night. Then 17 months ago, I began to worry about him waking and getting out so I quit. He used to open the door and bolt like a horse out of the gate at the Kentucky Derby. OMG, the searches and the chases. Once I found him about 7 miles from home. Now I can never leave him alone. Thankfully my 35 yr. old daughter and her family moved back home to help. Also we put a lock on the front door that requires a key to get out and in. Jean, Idaho makes some instant potatoes in envelopes that are really quite good and cost around 99 cents. I get those and canned white potatoes and red potatoes by the pound. Love the BOGO on meat. I just bring it home and break it down and use the FoodSaver. I buy ground beef and boneless skinless chicken breasts by the case at Sam's Club and use the FoodSaver. Works great and NO freezer burn!!
Well I tried DH on the Nuedexta and as of this morning he is off them. His hallucinations and paranoia were MUCH worse so he will now be back on the extra 25 of Seroquel. His neuro doesn't know it yet and I don't care if he doesn't like it...he doesn't live with him. As soon as I get an ink cartridge for my printer I will send the neuro a letter telling about taking DH off the Nuedexta. I had wanted him to raise the Seroquel to 100 but he wouldn't and came up with the Nuedexta so maybe he will raise it now. I hope!
Lori, I have found that Lloyd doesn't remember what he likes or doesn't like. There was a time he would not eat shrimp or white rice and swore he was allergic to ham. Now he eats all of it. On the drive home from Florida, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast and asked them to substitute anything for the grits and they wouldn't so we put sugar on them and fed them to Lloyd. He was fine. Just yesterday he ate an entire can of chunky clam chowder loaded with crackers. He hates the stuff, but he was ok. Go figure!