re: Alzheimers: Has anyone experienced it with a parent and willing to share experiences?

My Father had it. One thing I can tell you for sure, do not waste your time trying to drag him back into your reality. Humor him as best as you can and treasure the moments you have left. Share old photos and talk about good times you shared in the past. Oh, and don't be hesitant to get some professional care-giving. You and your mom and sister are not professionals. Best of luck to you and your family.

Grandma. It was scary

I've been a reader for 13 years on this site and though I don't post much I do lurk on way too many threads.

The OT and the poli board can be an absolute cesspool of cynicism and stupidity on a good day, but I must say this thread of several pages of earnest advice and people sharing their stories with nary a shitepost to be found is probably the nicest I've seen on here...maybe ever.

Hope the OP gets some comfort from others and wishing you all the best.

My dad passed away in January from this, shortly after having to put him in a memory care facility. He fell and broke his hip the Thursday before Christmas. I believe he & my stepmom had a pact that neither one would allow that and we had to get the court system involved (years).

He was still trying to drive and would leave the house saying he was going home. Got a speeding ticket for doing 88 on a posted 60 two lane highway.

Walked into his shed to be hit in the face with gas fumes. I found two open top buckets of gasoline that apparently, according to my SM, he had picked up gas the day before for the riding lawn mower.

Lots of imaginary visitors & people w/o names he wanted to find & help. Sometimes would introduce himself to me.

He was a good man of faith and we knew this wasn't him. For all he couldn't remember, up until the last months had a good recall of his childhood. We started singing old gospel songs, he would join right in and not miss a beat.

So glad we didn't have to go thru a Covid-19 funeral and having a packed church for an 89 year old man was a testament to the man he was. Miss you Dad.

My mom had it. It got to the point we had no choice but to put her in a nursing home. It was just me and my wife at the time to take care of her. Brothers and sisters lived far away. At that time I came down with heart failure and there was no way I or my wife could handle mom anymore. Sad part, I don't tell my mom that I was sick.

I've had two grandparents go through it before they died.

It's tough to watch.

But it amazes me how the mind works, even in that state. Repeating the same story over and over, adding new details here and there. Some past event gets "stuck" in their minds and they harp on it for a while, and maybe even combine events during their narrative.

Good luck to you. Patience is tough.

i experienced it with my paw paw, and now experiencing it with my wifes paw paw.
terrible disease for everyone involved. Both of them had to have all their guns taken away b/c they threatened to kill themselves. After experiencing it with them, if i could take it back, i'd let them do it. I already told my wife, if this happens to me, i do not want to go on living for a few years like this. just put me out of my misery and everyone else's.
It's fine at first when it's just the repetitive questions, but there will come a point where you have lost your loved one mentally, and you don't accept that you've lost them until well after they've been lost. At that point, the person that was your loved one, is just a lost soul that's scared and miserable and wants to die. that is the worst part about it, when you look in their eyes and you see the confusion and fear. It's like you can tell they are there, and not there, at the same time.

I am sorry for being so morbid about it, but those are my feelings about this awful disease.

Dad had it.
In the end, he didn't remember what the next room looked like. He would leave his bedroom to see if he could find the kitchen.
Then he contracted pneumonia. The hospital wouldn't admit him because of covid.
It continued to worsen.
Finally a wing was reopened for non- covid patients and he was admitted.
My mother watched Dad die.
His sons were not allowed to be with him.
He was denied a funeral Mass because covid closed his church.
He was denied a military honor guard because of covid.
His friends and most of his extended family did not attend his graveside service because of covid.
Eternal light shine upon you Daddy.

Alzheimer’s is awful. Watching a love one slowly deteriorate hurts. The end is especially the hardest when the doctors tell you there is nothing else they can do. All you can do is make sure you love them and enjoy the time with them.

Man we need to find a cure for this soon. This is easily the most terrifying common disease for me. I never want to experience that pain and having to do this. So sorry you have to.