Dealing with a Spouse with a “Mild Cognitive Impairment”

@joannahoward same here! I do wonder what my husband can comprehend when he watching TV. I think it is the nostalgia of his younger days.

@dederickve You are now in charge, not him. You must take care of yourself so that you can be there for him. You can do this.

His behavior is going backward in time and is similar to that of a toddler. The toddler doesn't want a babysitter, but prefers to cling to mom and make her life miserable all day everyday. No one can do 24/7 care. For your health, you need a break.

My father watches the same old western movie channel everyday. The same shows. He falls asleep off and on throughout the day. I can’t leave him alone at all because he falls. The tv drives me crazy. He picks up the control but can’t use it so he just pushes buttons. He gets mad and eventually tells me to make it work. If I offer to help he gets upset so I wait til he tells me to. I go through a few Chanel’s and then put it back on his western and he is happy as a bug in a rug. Like I just put on something new.
At night I stay up to late because that is my time to relax and not walk on egg shells.

@meitsjustme I find myself wanting to just sit and cry. For me, there’s no hope of any help. Everyone else is living their life. He’s mine, my responsibility.

@dederickve Hi @dederickve, I get it. My husband's kids and other family members live in distant states, with one in another country. I have my son and his wife nearby, but I don't ask for help from them. So, it's me. Thank goodness it's not full-blown dementia that I have to face, only MCI. It's hard and lonely enough.
As others have mentioned, you need to take care of yourself. Otherwise, you're both sunk. I don't know what your situation is, but if possible, carve out a bit of time for friends, and don't give it up except in real emergencies. Get outside and breathe the air once a day, every single day. Look at the world and try to see some small beauty. The world keeps turning and giving it's beauty in spite of everything that happens. Sometimes that feels wrong, as if the earth as a lot of nerve showing a flower or a sunrise when life is so hard.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this alone, and I'm happy you found this place to post.

@upgirl2013
My 98 yr young cousin used Grandpad on a tablet which was set up by his daughter to only connect to limited family members. It was a safe fun way to share pictures and update our elder family member.

@upgirl2013

My husband only watches movies and TV shows he has already seen, with the exception of the news and one program. I cannot tell you how many times we have watched The Green Mile and all the Jack Ryan movies. I read while we watch.

@upgirl2013
Yes, I think so too. It's hard for me to relate because I don't feel at all nostalgic. In fact I find it irritating. I guess it's because I'm thinking a lot about things that I haven't done and I still want to. What also bothers me is that he seems to feel nostalgia about situations which I don't think are worth feeling nostalgic about. For example, this morning he pined for a dish that I have made which is not at all extraordinary and preferred it to something new that I was going to make. For some reason this bugged me!

@gilkesl
That's an excellent metaphor.