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Undiagnosed Asperger's in the elderly
I think my elderly father had Asperger's (undiagnosed). The tragedy is — and I would like to know others experiences — he went off on stories normally, only responded to questions of interest of him. Unfortunately in the wrong hands, my sister, with power of attorney, interfered with his passing a mental status exam, and being misunderstood.
Would like any feedback, on how in the elderly one can take one with some dementia and take Asperger's to completely misunderstand and misdiagnose one whom is elderly. Unfortunately for my father, the mistaking Asperger's traits for dementia put him at a high risk of elder abuse, and no one would listen to him about what happening to him in the hands of my sister. He eventually gave up the will to live. I would like feedback of anyone experiencing the vulnerability of the elderly, — if they communicate and no one knows they have Asperger's — and dementia traits look alot like how one with Asperger's communicates.
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My heart goes out to you. Did you or anyone ever bring up aspergers as a possible diagnosis? Also, how did your sister get power of attorney and not include you? My own father passed away eight years ago in a nursing home (heart stroke), but my sisters and I each had p.o.a. (power of attorney) even though we didn't live in the same city as him.
It was hard but we each made sure someone stopped in to visit daily and thankfully we were there the night he passed. I couldn't imagine keeping my sisters out and I'm sure it would have torn my family apart if that had happened.
My oldest daughter has aspergers and I constantly think of what will happen when I'm not there to help her someday. Your post gives me a lot to think about planning for the future when I'm no longer here.
Did you ever get the chance to voice your concerns to the doctors or perhaps your county social services? Even if you didn't have P.O.A. you should have had the right to question or share your concerns and ideas to others.
My sister intentionally pulled off the ultimate con. Her goal was to take my fathers money while he was alive. SHe drew up a POA and told him he had to sign it. it gave her immediate access to his money withouth having to inform him. He never even had a copy of it. When she found out he planned to come home to Calif. HIs nightmare began. she had him drugged up heavily. With the POA all med. personally did her bidding. He has aspergers and to be drugged up healivly. She convinced everyone he was in advanced dimentia and to not take anything he said seriously. No family member was allowed to talk to him except my mother if the calls when he was allowed to talk to her they were all monitored. When he "escaped" got so agitated at the care home run by a girl in her 20's who did everything my sister told her to do. He escaped by being so agitated when the normal 20 some year old was on a weeks vacation and dad saw his chance with a temp. The origional girl would hav emedicated him more. The Sub had him taken to the hospital. There dad no stop said he wanted to be incalif, did not want my sister in control. and in his aspergers way he doesn't explain the detals well just the jist. The hospital was alerted of a possible problem. When my sister got in there, she convinced the staff that was all his dementia and he was receiving excellent care. He flunked a mental status. As you know one with aspergers doesn't answer questions they dont see revelant. > my sister as dad so adament not wanting to go back to home he was drugged and a prisioner, was put in a locked psych ward ,not for mental illness, but for "dementia agitation" and put on seroquil a strong antipsychotic.
AFter this experience dad knew he could not escape and would be punished. I contact all agencies but as not not communcating well and so fearful of tallling anyone anything . My sister conned all agencies to think dad was getting excellent care and NOT to listen to anything he said as he suffered from dementia. I hired attorneys but using dads money she hired the best bulldog in seattle to get me out of the way. She made up a whole elaborate story to have me discredited. so much she got a restraining order against me. I later at the superior court level got it overturned as my sister had no legal right to so do. So I tried to save my fathers life, But if one wants the money I learned a family member will do Anything. My sister was in a bind if it came out what she did and was doing she would be in jail. She fought and created cons as if her life depended on it.
I am so aware now of how one can pull off elder abuse, and also how vunerable one with aspergers is in a system whom can mistake aspects of aspergers in the elderly as dementia. Dad related in his tangental stories, he never responded directly to questions. This made him way too vunerable for abuse. I feel sick, but also more aware of the need to share the story to educate others of thevunerability of seniors and for thoes with aspergers in later life.