Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

Have any of you had experiences with any of these conditions in your loved ones?

My Father In Law, who is 84, is having these problems now and they are getting worse. His health has deteriorated over the last year with major heart problems and stage three stomach cancer. He went through chemo and radiation and tolerated it very well. But just before his six week check up after his cancer treatment he began to show signs of memory loss and forgetfulness. We thought it might be medication related, but now we know it was the onset of these mental issues. The week end before Thanksgiving, my wife, her sister and brother, brought him down here to be in a facility closer to us. Some days are better then others. Some days, like today, he just doesn't know where he is and is very confused. When visiting with him today he talked as if he and I where on the North Road in Wisconsin hunting Ruffled Grouse, when in reality we were in a health facility in Louisiana. He was in a nursing home here until Friday when he thought he was being held hostage by the Orderlies and set off a fire extinguisher in another patients room so that the Sheriff would be called and he would be let go. He did something similar in Wisconsin but just set off the fire alarms. It's funny when you know him. But sad that he is loosing touch with reality. Please remember Clarence (my FIL), my wife and her family in prayer.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

I am experiencing the dementia/alzheimer's with a family member now (and for the last year).

It has been a living HELL.

I am praying for you. Please do likewise.

God Bless.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

Praying

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

I responded on your "HELP" thread. I will be praying with you.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

Thank you Sis A.

He is a sweet old man even when he is confused. He does not really want to hurt anyone, he just imagines at times he is being held captive....which he is sort of. He can not take care of himself and we can not take care of him by ourselves either. We never want to have him put in a home but he can not be trusted to think straight or make correct decisions and can not be left by himself.

This is hard on my wife who loves her Dad very much.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

Yes, had to deal with it twice. First with my Mom's second husband and later with my FIL. Both had to be placed in a home, and ironically they both had lung cancer that they seemed to have missed until the very end.

My FIL kept escaping the nursing home so we had to find a private care for him. It was better for him and we figured he would live at least another year but he was gone in 6 months. He took a very surprise turn for the worse seemingly over night.

I also read/heard somewhere that folks that are very low in vitaimin B is sometimes miss dyanoised (sp) as Alzheimers, when it is not.

I feel for you brother and can tell you it is very stressful to the care providers.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

Yes. My mother is 83 and has alzheimer's. She started in her mid 70's showing sings of it. About 8 years ago she gave up driving when she got confused when she was trying to get to one of my brother's houses. She could remember how to get home but not which road to turn into to get to his house. She was less than 2 miles from him when she turned around and drove home.
It has been hard. She lives with one of my sisters and has been very difficult at times. I have been on an emotional roller coaster. We had to decide if we were going to move back and help my sister or stay put and I would go home to help when needed. That has been the solution and has worked so far.
It was hardest the first time she did not know who I was. Having seen it work on others and how the disease does people I have been a little prepared.
I love her but I also know that the woman who inhabits my mothers body is only a glimmer of the person she used to be.

We will remember your wife and family in prayer.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

I will be praying for your family, it isn't an easy road ahead. It takes a lot of patience.

My mother was diagnosed 1996 with Alzheimers and is in an assisted living home, but does not have a clue who we are. She sometimes calls out for us, but doesn't really know us. I went to see her Friday. I came through the door and she was sitting, hollering in her adult highchair. She was upset because she couldn't get her sock and it had fallen to the floor. I knelt down in front of her to put on her sock and the smile she gave me melted my heart. Her smile just lights up her eyes. She was so happy that someone had taken the time to get that sock and was there to see her. LOL I hugged her and told her I loved her, I understood her so much more now that I am raising teen girls. She got so excited and told me. "Girls.. I have girls too" I just grinned back and told her I knew she did... I was one of them. She rambled off and on to me for about a half an hour... most didn't make sense but I was happy she was talking.

That was a very good day, and I will cherish it a long time... I left so happy but sad because it might be a long while that I see her that clear and talkative.. if ever.

Usually, I go into a pretty non responsive mom who will let you hug her, but goes back to her constant crawling or pacing... some days are just worse than others. We have times where she is close to death or so they think, then she bounces back and does much better... her mind however is pretty much gone.

The Sundowners you mentioned is very taxing time to be in... they can get very angry, confused and do some crazy, I mean crazy things...which you are finding out. My very reserved and proper mother would have been mortified if she knew some of the things she did and said over the last 10 years.

We refused to have our mom drugged up, they only use mild anxiety medicines to help calm her when needed, but we haven't allowed her to be put into a stupor as a lot of Alzheimer's patients are. She was very, very healthy physically, and has lived a long time with the disease... I think the average is about 10 years with it.

Good luck with the road ahead.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

As a social service director for a sub-acute unit for close to 5 years, I have learned that when anyone has an Alzheimers or Dementia DX; when they go under anesthetic or go through any trauma it throws them into the advanced stages of the disease.

If you want particular information please feel free to PM me.

Blessings & Prayers,
Rhoni

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

This thread breaks my heart.
My dad had sundowners.
My mom Alzheimers.
Both were hard roads though one only took place at night. My favorite incident though
had to be when he thought the cowboys on the tv were talking to him personally.
It was especially entertaining when he would respond to them.
I miss him dearly.

My mom however deteriorated mentally first then physically. Alzheimers is a rough
thing. I felt like crying reading Lisa's post. I know that road and how I wish I could
help you. It is such a hard thing to watch someone you love not know anything
familiar. Jesus bless you all.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

One of the ladies in the alzheimers unit was a UPCI woman who's family visited her often. The staff always wanted to cut her hair and I wouldn't allow them to knowing her personal preference [conviction] I would braid her hair as she propelled her wheelchair with her feet. She would hum..."In The Garden" and would say one word she remembered. I would sing the next few, and she would sing a word or a phrase and we would get through the song. I look forward to seeing her in heaven one day and singing with her again.

Blessings, Rhoni

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

I have never heard of Sun-downers before. How is it different?

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

Sun Downers is dementia that comes on at night.
My dad would be perfectly fine all day and then when evening came he could not
remember where he was.
Alzeheimers takes them away altogether. Its so sad.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

My FIL was very good for a few days and that was worse then when he is confused, because he would ask me why he can't come and live at my house. We would have loved to have him until the sun downers set in and he started getting very agitated and no matter where he was he was ready to leave, even when at his own home or out at the country place that he loves so much.

The week before he was brought down to Louisiana we had some interesting conversation everyday. He was at a didn't place in a different situation each day, all around were he grew up and he would wonder when they built "this building" here? This building was the facility he was in. Then He'd have a few days of clarity, only getting confused in the evenings.

There are times you can't help but chuckle at some of the things he says and does. Better to laugh than weep..........

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

Actually, sundowners is when folks confuse their days with their nights. This is why the wander risk is so high in a non-secured facility.

Actually it sounds like he has vascular dementia and not Alzheimer's Disease. Sometimes they treat these individuals with AD medication but it rarely has the same effect of halting the disorder, chances are because it was vascular dementia (given his history), irreperable harm was done to his brain and there is really no way to improve or halt the disease which is what AD medication does.

AD medications for the mostpart are designed not to improve the patients memory, but to keep it from advancing.

If he is sundowning, I would recommend a secured assisted living facility for him. There are some wonderful facilities around...take the time to find the right one.

Re: Sun-downers/Dementia/Alzheimer's
 

My mom has alzheimer's. She is in the memory care unit of an assisted living facility. This disease is very hard on both the patient and the family.
Today, was one of my mother's good days. Her mind was better than normal and she felt well. Other days she rambles continuously and she is very afraid that someone is trying to hurt her. Seeing her tormented with the fear is
one of the most difficult things to deal with, but I believe the Lord is helping
her with this. I thanked him when I left her today that she was having a good
day.