re: Anyone here have a relative with dementia?

When my Mom came down with it, she was around 80. Lived till 84. Problem was that we had to put her in a nursing home. It got that bad. I tried to get her to move in with us, but she wouldn't. Then she came down with cancer again towards the end. Doctors told us at that point there was no reason to treat the cancer again. Being I had POA, I had the final say on that, but had all my brothers and sisters come in with the doctors. We all agreed what the doctors said. That still eats at me to this day.

Was even harder not being able to tell my Mom that I was in heart failure and one of my brothers came down with cancer two years before she passed. We held back any and all bad news from her.

My dad's dad had some pretty bad alzheimers for about 5 years before he passed.

It wasn't bad for me and my twin brother, because he always recognized us (for the most part) for some reason, but there were just some things that were hard to see. There would be moments when he would be lucid and he would realize how far gone he is. He would look guilty, because he knew how he was a burden on my dad and my family (a burden we embraced and loved until he passed). Those were the hardest moments.

Don't be afraid to laugh. There are some truly comical moments when a loved one has dementia.

Sorry man. I work for a non profit that offers daily care (not a nursing home) for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. shite is extremely humbling. Our youngest patient has early onset at 45

Yes. My mother had it set in during her mid-50's. She was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's (which is a form of dementia). She lasted until her late 80's - the last ten years in a nursing home. It was a rather cruel process to watch.

My great grandmother had alzheimer's. Started when she was 80 and she went about a decade with it before she passed. She went downhill pretty fast and by 81 really didn't recognize any of us.

Her not remembering us was always bad but I was always struck by how quickly her whole demeanor changed. Before alzheimer's she was always dressed well, never left the house without her hair done and makeup on. Seeing her unkempt in sweatpants in a nursing home was a pretty awful reminder of how bad it had gotten. She'd also say some pretty awful things to one of her daughters and she was never like when she was in her right mind.

While in college I rented a garage apt from a retired professor and his wife. The prof. had Alzheimers. I was dating a freshman with a nice rack. She came over to visit one day and the Prof. called her over to his porch. He gave both her tits a couple of honks and asked her if weadjust was sticking it to her good every night.

She freaked out, bolted to my apt, and told me what happened. On the inside I was like . I told her he had Alzheimers and pees of the porch, does strange shite, and to avoid him.