my husband has alzheimers . He has problems with incontience, temper,wanting to drive and many other things. I also have several medical problems, sever sleep apenia, pulmonary fibrosis and recently had breast cancer. I will start radiatology tomorrow. Does any one else have problems like this ? if so how to deal with this.
Well yes we do. Have problems, just like those. Myrle, you can find whole bunches of advice on the board here. It might be good to start with one thing, and see what other people have learned about dealing with just that. Take the driving issue for example. It has several discussions of it's very own, as does anger in AD patients, and incontinence management.
You are dealing with a host of issues. It will take some time to look at each one. In the meantime, while you're looking, you can find great support and encouragement here.
Many of us have had all or most of the problems you speak about. I assume your husband has been dx by a doctor. There are various medications that can help keep them calm. Also, the driving thing is a big problem for most. Your doctor can tell him he can't drive and he may listen better to the doctor, you can refuse to get in the car with him and you also can explain that if he had an accident you could lose all your assets since he has been dx with Alzheimers and your insurance might not cover him.
It isin't easy for some of the women, but you will need to learn to be in control of most every thing...sorry to say, but it isn't business as usual. Also, you might want to watch how much money he has because during this period many of the spouses, including my spouse, have hidden lots of money that has never been found.
Sorry to hear about your physical and medical problems. Keep asking questions and get all the help you can and here is the best place in the world to get advice. Good luck to you and please keep coming back...I could have not made it through this journey without this blog.
Hi Myrle--you may want to click on the sticky "Message Board Guidelines". One of the topics covered is how to do a Search--which is the way you access prior discussions. As Emily said, all of the problems you listed are common symptoms of Alzheimer's and there are many prior discussions and lots of info available here, and the Search feature is how you can access them and add to the conversation. Hope this helps and good luck with your treatment.
Welcome to my website. Getting a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease is overwhelming, but you have come to the right place. I suggest you start with the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com - and look on the left side where all the resources are. Start with "New Member/Newly Diagnosed" and then the box that says - "Understanding the Dementia Experience".
You are going to need help taking care of both of you. If you have money, there is no problem paying for help. On the left side of my home page, there is a box titled Elder Care Locator, which lets you look up agencies in your area for in-home help. If you do not have money, start by calling the Department of Elder Affairs in your area, explaining your situation, and they should be able to guide you toward help. You can also call the Alzheimer Association 1-800-272-3900 and they may be able to give you information you need.
You did not say how long your husband has had AD or how old he is. The driving is a huge issue, as you will see when you "search" for the topics at the top of this page. To do a search, click "search", type in your topic, making sure the "topic" circle is filled in, and hit "enter" or "search". All of the topics will come up.
I started this website in 2007 because I couldn't find anyone who would talk about how I felt - I thought I was the only one feeling the way I did about what Alzheimer's Disease was doing to my marriage. I needed a place that dealt with my unique issues as a spouse of an Alzheimer patient. This site 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.
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.
Hey Joan--perhaps you meant "if you have money, there is no problem paying for help." There is certainly the same problem convincing an earlyish dementia patient that in-home help or an adult day program would be a good idea. Many people think you just pick up the phone, get help and then pay the bill. Any of us who have been through it know that there's a lot more to it than that :)