Earliest signs of decline?

Posted by Gratia @gratia, Jul 18 7:49pm

Just curious whether your loved one exhibited signs you dismissed that could have been early symptoms of cognitive decline… We have our elderly mother with dementia, but she has been going downhill for almost 20 years-likely more. When I look back, I recall certain things that I attributed to her personality, but now I’m left wondering….
It doesn’t matter much because we are here now, but I just think of her past behaviors which I found frustrating and now I wonder if it was early onset…

Wishing all of you strength and joy. You’re all doing the best you can. You are doing heroic things…with no reward. I understand. ❤️

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Caregivers: Dementia Support Group.

Profile picture for brandysparks @brandysparks

@judimahoney - Your wonderful, practical solutions offered are appreciated more than you can know.

I don't know that this is possible to actually carry out under our circumstances, but - again - after dealing with rude, rushed staff and extensive miscommunications with personal care staff (if they communicate at all) - your practical, reasonable, "get-to-it" suggestion/s are so warmly appreciated - like an understanding hug!

I did have experience when my father was in the hospital recovering from his 10th (!?!) procedure to clean out his infected 8" spinal surgical wound that neurology did to insert a metal rod to support his bad back...but then neurology was so happy with their successful surgery, the rest was left to him, some hospital staff and us to deal with as he kept getting reinfected IN THE HOSPITAL. Apologies - I digress a bit...

But, he started wondering where he was, he couldn't talk much, he did NOT have cognitive issues, but this so scared me when I was visiting him that I had to wrangle hospital staff to attend to him or I was afraid he was having a stroke or lord only knows what was going on. It WAS a UTI. OMG.

We are expected to fill in the gaps, yet the medical professionals, as talented and capable as many are, leave a whole universe to be desired as far as attentive care, maintenance and appropriate follow-up. In my current state of mind (hugely frustrated, my questions talked over, impatient nurses not helpful, repeating information already known, but then asking "what medications ARE being given to your mother - ack?! What the ??) - in my current state of mind, I am sooooo tired of being asked questions that they should have the answers to right in front of them before they contact me, or any of us?

As an attorney, if I spoke so off-the-cuff about critical issues to a client on a repeated basis, like I didn't know what their case was about, I'd be subject to some darn unhappy clients, and a poor reputation as a professional. But I don't do that, and neither should these medical personnel, and if they DO, it should have professional consequences.

I'll leave it all at that for now. But I am fairly certain I am not alone in this kind of disjointed, uninformed and casually-treated serious medical situation.

My best to all of us out there trying, and trying, and trying...

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@brandysparks
100% agree!
I too am disheartened regarding the medical community in general. Sometimes you find a gem out there, as rare as in real life.

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In reply to @shmerdloff "@shmerdloff" + (show)

@shmerdloff - Oops?!

Was there a word and/or phrase to appear at the top of the inserted image you provided?

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Profile picture for brandysparks @brandysparks

@shmerdloff - Oops?!

Was there a word and/or phrase to appear at the top of the inserted image you provided?

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@brandysparks
The excerpt was done just after because it did not go thru as an attach the1st time.
Taken together, we have a super medical system which is broken.

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