If you ever have to deal with a parent with dementia, be prepared to be inundated with information. The first thing that always comes to mind is Alzheimers, but not all dementia is Alzheimers. My mother has vascular dementia. It is caused by mini-strokes in the brain.
In any dementia, short term memory goes first. There are basic tests they give which can help diagnose dementia. The Merck manual shows the test used for my mother at this link.
What's amazing about dementia is that the person may forget what you told them 5 minutes ago, but then be able to share explicit, detailed recollections of their childhood and early adulthood. I'm learning more about my mother's life than I ever knew before.
My mother is 82 and the symptoms started showing up about 2-1/2 years ago. When it got severe they prescribed Aricept, which is supposed to slow the decline of memory loss. Unfortunately, when living alone, a person with short term memory loss can forget how many pills to take so we ended up in the emergency room from a possible overdose. She was released 2 days later into our care (which she hates).
I will add to this blog with things that come up during our journey through this caregiving exercise. One thing we have learned from lectures, web materials, and more is that in many cases, the caregiver dies before the care receiver does. It can be that stressful.
It's true what they say about your parents raising you as a child and then you taking care of them as they decline into a childlike state. But she's my mother!
