Alzheimer's disease

ashentara · Alzheimer's disease

Hey guys, sorry to create a topic for such a difficult matter... but I need your input.

My grandma has been diagnosed with Al's disease last summer. She'd had memory lapses before, but it all started to get serious in August last year.
Since then she's been in hospital for two months, then to a rehab facility, and now she's in a specialized Alzheimer facility, where they only admit people suffering from that disease. It's a long term facility - once you get in, you only leave when you're a vegetable... when they don't think they can do anymore for you and you get transferred to a nursing home til you die.

The thing is, my grandma isn't sick enough that she's happy where she is now. Most of the time, she's lucid, and begs us to take her back home. But we can't. We tried, but it didn't work out, she was way too sick to stay at home with my grandpa.
So now she's in that facility, for who knows how long, and she's miserable.
I visit her at least once a week, sometimes more.. she's happy when I visit, even more when I bring my daughter, but I can tell she's just depressed. It's a terrible feeling.
Like my dad says "we'll just have to wait until the disease gets worse and she's happy with it and doesn't question it any more".
It's true, but it's awful. anyone dealt with that kind of problem???

SuperGinge

Yes, unfortunately i have. My aunt was diagnosed with the disease about 5 years ago. It's a horrible, nasty thing. She doesn't really remember anything now. I don't visit her because my mom tells me it will be too upsetting for me to see her. The last time i saw her was about a year before she went into a nursing home. That was about 3/4 years ago. I can't really remember what she looks like now unless i look at photos.
I'm so sorry your grandma has this disease manu

. All i can say is cherish every moment you have with her now. Try to visit her as much as you can.
I'm here if you need to talk about anything

Ham of the Problematique

Oh, that's really sad. I've not had any experience of it myself, but I agree - make the most of the time you've got now, even if it's not an ideal situation (or a really crappy one). She'll appreciate it while she's still really with you, and you'll appreciate the time you had in years to come.

I hope you're okay - I'm thinking of you and sending many hugs.

ashentara

thanks Guys, thanks for the hugs and everything.

You're right, that's exactly what I'm doing - trying to make the most of the time we have left before she completely loses her mind

I'm going there tomorrow, I'll bring her pictures and drawings that Gaby made. Hopefully it'll make her smile a bit !

SuperGinge

Yeah, thats all you can do really.
Although put some research into it, i think there are some drugs out that can slow down the effects of alzheimers, i'm not sure, i think there is....
When i get a spare ten minutes i'll have a look for you

SuperGinge

Hey Manu, i had a little scout round on google, and i came up with these

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5210048.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donepezil
http://www.alzinfo.org/alzheimers-disease-treatment-information.asp

Hope these help in some way.

ashentara

thanks a bunch

I know about some drugs - she's under treatment right now, at the beginning she was having horrible hallucinations (like dead family members talking to her in the kitchen , that kind of crazy stuff) but now she doesn't any more, and the shrink says it's thanks to the meds

I'll go look at those websites

thanks again
that means a lot to me

SuperGinge

TreeHeart

I am so sorry to hear you guys have family members suffering with this horrible disease.
My aunt by marriage's mother had it and I know how badly she felt leaving her mother in the nursing home.(they didn't have a special Alzheimer's place)

Hugs

ashentara

thanks Karen and Hannah

I went to visit her today with my aunt, and we took her out of the facility for the first time. We'd cleared it with the nurses, and surprised her by telling her to put on her shoes and coat as we were going out!! The look on her face.. she looked really happy.
We went to a shopping mall as she wanted to buy some clothings and stuff, we spent about an hour there, after that she felt tired so we went back and had tea and chatted for a while. She was in really good spirtis, and I told her that we could do that on a regular basis, that she wasn't "imprisoned" there as she put it, that she couldn't go out on her own but anyone of us (close family) could take her for a walk or to the restaurant etc whenever she wanted.
So she seemed better when we left. yeay!!