Dementia and Aphasia

Posted by bayviewgal @bayviewgal, Jun 18, 2023

Is anyone having to deal with a loved one with dementia AND aphasia? My 62 year old husband was diagnosed with FTD in 2021. He has also developed aphasia in 2022.
Tests to determine what was going on with his memory loss, anxiety, frustrations and confusions started in late 2020 and with alot of research I was doing on my own I suspected it was dementia/alzheimers and those suspicions were confirmed, So after much crying, and wondering "why us?" i said to myself "you got this! it's gonna be quite the road ahead but you got this!" I had never heard the word aphasia so it took me by surprise that the lack of speech and communication were now going to play a part of this journey. I have learned how to handle and deal with the day to day things he can longer do or needs help doing them but this aphasia is killing me.
We went to speech therapy early on because of his cognitive impairment but i don't feel it helped him with he speech issues. We even got ourselves a speech device through Lingraphica but because he can't seem to navigate a computer or phone anymore the device doesn't seem to help. At first I thought the talk therapy device would be great for both of us because he could do it by himself and give me some alone time but not long after purchasing it and the lessons we learned on how to use it didn't last long before it became confusing to him. And he gets frustrated with it easily so we hardly ever use it anymore.
Is anyone else dealing with PPA (primary progressive aphasia) ? If so, I would love to hear how you are managing it and what other kinds of advice i can get that has helped you.
Thank you

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

HGS | @harleyshaw | Jul 20, 2023

In reply to @larryg333 "@harleyshaw -- You're blessed to have a PA in the family willing to help. Great! /LarryG" + (show)

A little irony here to lighten up a bit: As I mentioned earlier, my wife is 82; me 86. I have a bit of a heart condition and other lessor malfunctions. Next month her mother celebrates her 103rd birthday. She's physically sound, as is my wife, but suffers from similar cognitive symptoms. If genes are part of the longevity equation, odds are pretty good my wife will survive me.

larryg333 | @larryg333 | Jul 20, 2023

H -- We never what our fates have planned for us in the future. Heck, with all your experience and smarts for having taken care of the Mrs. all this time, you may outlive them all with improved health.

All the best!

/LarryG

lwbarker | @lwbarker | Aug 24, 2023

<p>How do you cope with MCI aphasia?</p><p>My 86 year old brother was diagnosed with MCI abt 4 years ago. He has very good physical health…gardening, fast walking, fishing. Lives with his wife and his son’s family in last two years. Most evident symptom is aphasia- disjointed speech and writing. I play Words With Friends with him daily long distance. What else can I do to help him?</p>

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Sep 4, 2023

In reply to @lwbarker "How do you cope with MCI aphasia?My 86 year old brother was diagnosed with MCI abt..." + (show)

Hi @lwbarker, I moved your question about MCI and aphasia to this existing discussion in the Caregivers: Dementia support group.
- Dementia and Aphasia
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/dementia-and-aphasia/@lorrie2772
I did this so that you can read previous helpful posts and connect with others like @snowbloom @joyd3 @bayviewgal @clkurth @blessedinsd @doubleprogressive who are supporting a loved one with cognitive impairment and aphasia.

You may also be interested in this related discussion:
- What strategies help you cope with behavioral changes in loved one?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cognitive-impairment/
Supporting your brother long distance obviously brings challenges. I bet his wife and son appreciate your help. Does he enjoy playing Words with Friends? Have you noticed changes in his abilities since playing it with him?