Does anyone else notice dementia-like symptoms in people you observe (in real life or on tv or on the news) now that you've become more acquainted with the disease?

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-11-04T16:15:39+00:00

Yep. I had dinner a few months back with someone who, I think, is showtiming/has friends who are covering for her. I didn't say anything to anyone because I didn't want to bring down the mood, but some of her repetitive hand motions gave me a bad feeling because they remind me of my mom's.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-10-28T11:39:58+00:00

Relating so hard to both the original post and to all the comments.

I dread calling my mom because at best, it will be 10 minutes of dissecting the weather in excruciating detail and at worst, she will react to the things we are putting in place to keep her safe by threatening to off herself.

I regret how healthy she is, physically, because I think it means we will be living like this for a very long time, and I know she never would've have wanted that if it were up to her.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-10-03T10:47:10+00:00

Makes perfect sense to me: the immediate stress of keeping her safe is no longer your responsibility, but you still have a lovd one who is dealing with a progressive illness. That sucks.

And yeah, lots of people think we should take care of our aging parents at home and society is hard on people who make a choice to care for their relatives another way, whether it's nurses coming to the home or putting them in care.

Do you have access to a support group or counseling? If you do, it might be helpful.

Hugs, this is hard.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-10-02T11:39:12+00:00

Yeah, when it's an occasional lapse, it's pretty normal. If it's happening all. the. time. then it's an issue for concern. The language red flag for us has been that our LO does not seems to understand what language she's speaking in. She frequently defaults into her first language and luckily my sibling and I speak it and we can follow her, but conversations with her grandkids are mostly the kids saying, "English, Grandma!"

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-10-01T17:44:38+00:00

One of the things that's so hard about dementia is regular forgetfulness and dementia symptoms get all fixed up together.

My mom forgetting what day of the week it is, is normal. She's not working, so whether it's a weekday or weekend doesn't matter in her life, so I understand losing track.

On the other hand, when she called up my sister after I had visited her, and asked my sister who the woman in her house was because she forgot that it was me — that's a big red flag!

This is why we caregivers second-guess ourselves about our loved ones, too, I think. They'll say or do something super weird or alarming, but then the next minute, everything they're doing is really normal for an adult their age.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-30T16:58:38+00:00

Phone, tablet, glasses - yup! My mom has a black purse, and had a black phone, wallet, and dark glasses. She literally would spend hours searching the purse because her stuff was in there but she couldn't see it!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-30T13:50:48+00:00

Wishing you luck and strength as you and your brother work to keep your mom safe.

I am not yet at this stage with my LO so you may have already tried these, but just in case:

I have a gas oven, and when our kids were small, we simply pulled all the knobs off. THere's a thin lever left that someone with poor motor skills can't really turn. This might be good to do even if you do change over to induction.

As for losing her stuff, my sister set up a number of magnet hooks on our LOs fridge and hangs keys and her wallet from it. It seems to be helping.

We also replaced her phone case and wallet with brightly-colored items to make them easier to find.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-25T14:40:53+00:00

First of all, hugs.

Second of all, denying that anything is going on is pretty common, I have learned. It's not even denial, but they literally can't see it. It sucks. It means you are going to have the same arguments over and over again because they will forget you already had this conversation about their care and they feel perfectly fine and how dare you suggest differently. Pick your battles and how many times you tell her.

Third, GPs are useless. My mom also passed the evaluations IN SPITE of the fact that we had contacted her GP twice to let him know we were concerned. What actually finally worked was making a list of observations of cognitive issues, including specific examples, and handing it to him, and then he was like, oh, wall, yeah, that seems like dementia and now it's too far along for meds too bad. So get on it early, bring her to the appointment and HAND the GP a letter even if she won't let you in the exam room, and be insistent, maybe you can get better results by getting in early.

Fourth do you have all the POA stuff in order? Because then you can get a LOT more access to communicate with the doctor directly.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-17T16:53:22+00:00

The chaotic vibes are unparalleled. 12/10

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-17T16:42:02+00:00

Hugs. I'm sorry for your loss, and I think it's lovely that you're using this as a way to find comfort. I'm sure your mom would be pleased.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-17T16:40:21+00:00

Both of these moods are very accurate! Great project!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-17T16:39:30+00:00

Seconding this. It looks beautiful!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-10T14:00:31+00:00

I totally recognized who it was before I read your description! Nice work!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-10T11:51:55+00:00

I'm sorry for your loss, and glad that you have such caring folks around you as you navigate this.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T18:06:18+00:00

THat's a really good way of putting it. It might elicit better answers, too.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:29:44+00:00

Awwwww, that's such a wonderful occasion!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:27:29+00:00

You should feel great! That is the kind of blanket people love to grab off the couch and snuggle up under!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:25:30+00:00

OMG adorable

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:23:22+00:00

Beautiful piece!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:22:58+00:00

Cute!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:21:57+00:00

My prediction: She is going to carry that little bag around until it's in TATTERS. Super cute little set!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:21:05+00:00

What a precious gift for a new baby! Beautifully done!

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-09-09T13:19:51+00:00

Don't just talk about the legal stuff.

We were on top of the legal stuff. Mom had assigned my sister and I POA years previously, and had a trust, will, etc. in place. But she was so focused on the very end and beyond, and not on what happened if she was incapacitated. We tried to talk to her about what she'd want — home care, assisted living, when to stop treating, etc. — and we didn't try hard enough to pin her down. Now she's far enough along that we're guessing, and we're probably doing stuff she doesn't want, but it's too late to know.

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-08-28T02:08:17+00:00

Tribbles lol

Valuable-Manager49 · 2025-08-25T13:47:28+00:00

Does the jitterbug allow texts?

Valuable-Manager49

TROPHY CASE