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Moved: ALZConnected Q&A Thread
This discussion has been moved.
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Wife Slow to Move her Mom
My FIL passed away at the beginning of January. He was the sole caretaker for my MIL. They live in a very rural area. He never had her officially diagnosed. Now my wife and I are living with my MIL who according to her PCP has moderate to advanced dementia. As you all know, some days are just infuriating. She will obsess…
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Managing incontinence
Hello all- does anyone have advice on ideas for getting urine odor out of bedding and clothing. My dad is incontinent of urine mostly and despite washing everything daily there always seems to be a lingering ammonia odor. Any advice of what can be used besides regular detergent to help!!??
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FB Cure Scams
Just need to hear how you have handled your loved ones when he/she comes to you touting this new "cure" that Bill Gates, or Elon Musk, or Phil Donahue, or some other celebrity has discovered. My sister is constantly coming to tell us if this cures and wants to buy the honey or gummy that gets rid of Alzheimers. These fake…
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Feeling alone
Hello, I'm new here. Part time care giver for my mom, my best friend. I feel so alone in my grief. I know I'm not but this has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through and it almost feels like no one around me even notices. I feel like my family (dad & brother) and I are so isolated. No one ever really checks in on…
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Young Adult Daughter of Dad with Dementia
Hi everyone! I'm 22, just came home from graduating college and sadly my Dad was recently diagnosed with Dementia after 2 years of agitation, aggression, and eventually psychosis symptoms. With the help of medication, we are so grateful to now get glimpses of the phenomenal superhero of a man/dad he was for me all my life.…
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overnight pullups advice for incontinence
Hello wonderful people, I was wondering if anyone has advice for a brand of overnight pull-ups that is the most absorbent. Lately my LO often soaks through even the brands that say they hold the most liquid. He does sleep over 12 hours sometimes, so i know that would be a challenge for any product. Our family has tried…
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I need to vent about my grandmother and an endless cycle.....
I'm 39 and currently my 85 year old grandmother has dementia. I've been living with her for a number of years and 2 years ago she was officially diagnosed with dementia. For the past 4 months, she has been packing multiple bags daily to "go home" when she's already at the home she's lived in for the past 25 years. From…
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US SSA does not recognize POA
This may be well known to most of you, but it was news to me only a few days ago. Social Security agents could not talk to me about my dad’s benefits, since SSA does not accept DPOA. I had to apply directly to the SSA to be a “representative payee.” It would have helped if I had known that term! The process was not that…
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My oldest dearest friend has dementia
My friend since 1980, the person who has stood by me through thick and thin, who has always been there for me, even when I was living far away…had a fall resulting in a brain bleed in October 2025. I had been visiting her one afternoon a week before this happened and even then, I thought there was a slight amount of…
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Trouble with letting go of desire for control
For a year my brother dealt with stomach cancer. There were signs that my mom's memory was failing, but it didn't seem too bad. With all the attention on my brother, we put a blind eye on those issues. When he died, we couldn't be blind any more. We could handle taking over paying her bills, managing her doctor's…
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Books about Alzheimer's Disease
I want to start a thread for books regarding Alzheimer's Disease and caregiving. I invite anyone with a pertinent book about Alzheimer's Disease or the other dementias to post. If someone has the link for Understanding the Dementia Experience, please post it here, so new members can readily find it. The first book I want…
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Bank Doesn't Recognize POA
Hi, What to do when credit union won't allow me to use the POA? I haven't contacted the atty who drafted it yet, full, durable $$ and medical/general POAs. So far my PWD can still come with me or talk to reps on phone but that could change anytime. USA SSA won't accept either- wondering what other agencies don't and how…
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Sleeping 12 hours a night
DH was diagnosed two years ago, but has likely been impacted for 6 years. He was quite accomplished, so he was able to “cover” for many of symptoms as he declined. While ALZ runs in his family (grandfather, father, aunt, uncle, but not his brothers - yet) DH was able to make it to age 60+ without symptoms. For most of our…
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I'm confused (again)
My Dad has Alzheimer's/vascular dementia. He was diagnosed three or four years ago, has been in memory care for two years, and on hospice for 8 months. He sleeps a lot. Probably 20 hours a day on average - he's awake from about 7:30 to 11:30 in the mornings. He gets out of bed about half of the mornings. He has lost a lot…
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From the NYT: Blood tests for predicting Alzheimers
NYT Article shared. "Could a Blood Test Predict if You’ll Get Alzheimer’s? The tests could help to improve dementia care, but scientists say there are still some caveats and unknowns." There's a lot of nuance in this article. I think the main question for patients is: If you get a positive result, what do you do? It…
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Sundowning
Hello, I’m very new to this group and confused on this newly diagnoses of Dementia for my mother! We are still going through a lot of appointments and tests and we don’t have a actual diagnosis of what type of dementia my mom has but they are leaning more towards Lewy body because she has a tremor on her hand! My question…
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Coping
I'm a caregiver for my Mom long distance. I don't have any support and I'm not sure how to cope anymore. She is declining and I feel she needs different meds because she is starting to show side effects. Not sure how to straighten this out. I've asked for help from docs but nothing changes or they are very vague on the…
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Helpful Resource
This site is an amazing resource of help and support for so many. I also saw a post in another section of a video on a particular subject. I found the information, presentation and vocabulary right on target for this audience so I thought I would share it here. It is offered just as another resource and supplement to this…
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Mom in hospice care and seeing and talking to people
I hear this is common. Is it? My mom is in hospice care at her MC facility. I was with for a couple hours today. I would talk to her and she would answer back. She was more alert than she has been in a couple of days. I felt like it was a gift to be able once again to say something to her and she responded. It was mumbled,…
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Clear cup vs opaque cup for drinking
It depends on the PWD but I read of two conflicting views online: PWD forgets there's something to drink in an opaque mug, so putting it into a clear cup makes PWD realize there's something to drink. Otherwise, PWD just forgets or just stares at it. Clear cups may "disappear" or is hard to see for PWD, as do clear contents…
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Research focusing on gut health shows promise
Source: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/gut-brain-cognitive-decline-research-aging TLDR: "New research shows that restoring gut-brain communication can reverse memory problems in aging mice, pointing to new treatments for cognitive decline." "These changes are registered by immune cells in the gastrointestinal…
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Husband won't or can't ask for help.
I'm new to the group. Husband recenyly diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. I get anxiety & frustrated when my spouse is wet / lays on urine soaked bedpad & won't tell me. I'm completely new to this diagnosis. Suggestions/ recommendations welcomed.
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Obsession, Agitation, Anger
I need help and suggestions on what to do with my sister. I live with her and her husband. She is constantly getting angry over beliefs she has of her past that are not true! She's obsessed with a life that she believes was taken from her without any input from her. Not true. We can't correct her to guide her to the truth.…
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CPAP advice
Our 82-year-old LO used a CPAP for years but as rapid onset dementia developed he stopped. He still seems able to sleep OK and the MC people say residents generally don’t have them (unless they know how to use them). Is that just the way it is?
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Cashing US Savings Bonds
Another post about banking and the DPOA reminded me of a different financial topic. When I was clearing out my dad’s safe deposit box before a cross-country move, I found a stash of paper US series EE savings bonds that were well past their maturity date. I was able to arrange to get these cashed by taking him to a bank…
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Keppra anecdotal study
I just saw an article stating that researchers have noticed anecdotal ‘evidence’ that Keppra may prevent dementia or slowdown decline in those already have it. Keppra is an anti seizure drug. I know some members here have loved ones taking Keppra for dementia related seizures. Have you noticed that the dementia progression…
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Loved one spouse just passed
Spouse of the loved one with dementia just passed last week. They are good with day to day activities of course have moments of grief but they keep asking when the funeral is although the funeral Was last week. Then get upset to re-live that and to then upset because they cannot remember the funeral happened. How can we…
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PPA (primary progressive aphasia) - a type of Alzheimer’s
my sister, age 77, has been diagnosed with “logopenic PPA” and Alzheimer’s - and is living at home with her husband. She can do all the ADL’s, is working out, socializing and seeing a speech therapist. She has no memory loss but struggles to find words, has trouble writing and reading. On Aricept today, however her…
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Sitters
My husband is wandering outside during the day. I would like to find a sitter to stay with him once a week so that I can run errands. Has anyone used Care.com, Visiting Angels, etc? What was your experience with them? Can you tell me the hourly cost? Just looking for someone who can keep him company while I am gone. I live…