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Dementia


Crazy4Canning

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So I have a question here - just throwing it out to the group - about dementia. I've done reading and research about it and I'm seriously worried my dad may be getting dementia.

 

Today was the 3rd bizarre financial incident inside of about 18 months.

 

1. FBI Nigerian Scam $700+ dollars

 

About a year + ago, I almost had to cart my dad down to the FBI office to prove to him that they did NOT request his help nor do they ask people for money. He was soaked for over $700.

 

2. Last spring he "lost" $1200, almost his entire SSI disbursement. He stopped at a grocery counter to get a money order, set the envelope down, looked away and the money was gone. He borrowed money from me and friends to pay rent that month, almost becoming evicted.

 

3. Today, he was "awarded" a short term loan for almost $2000 when he (without my mom's permission) applied for a short term loan for "personal reasons" through one of those on-line banking loan places, a.k.a. virtual loan sharks. Interest on these things can be up to 40%. He said this loan was to pay my husband and I back for their moving expenses. I have told my parents numerous times that *if* we get the deposit and rent money back then we will talk, but this was a GIFT, not a loan. Oh, and these crooks have his banking information now. :banghead:

 

I had to tell my mom about it and the only thing we can think of is to immediately transfer the monies when auto-deposited into another account when he gets them from the government and then not have his name on that account.

 

Dad doesn't mean harm, but he isn't making sense either. The thing that gets me is that he is putting others in harms' way, mainly my disabled and blind mother.

 

Any ideas for specific phrases or tips I may be able to provide a physician to ask for an evaluation?

 

Any help is appreciated.

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You've probably seen this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementia

 

At all ages, a substantial proportion of patients who complain of memory difficulty or other cognitive symptoms are suffering from depression rather than a neurodegenerative disease. Vitamin deficiencies and chronic infections may also occur at any age; they usually cause other symptoms before dementia occurs, but occasionally mimic degenerative dementia. These include deficiencies of vitamin B12, folate or niacin, and infective causes ...

 

Their new surroundings may be effecting him more then he is admitting, he may be distressed and trying to make things right.

 

 

((((C4C)))))

 

:pray:

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I don't have much personal experience with it. My grandmother had dementia but she was in her late 80’s early 90’s. We called it Alzheimer’s but the doctor told us there are so many forms of dementia that it was hard to tell what she really had because of her advanced age. She saw things that weren’t there. It was sort of a blessing because by that time she had gone blind so she thought she was actually sighted again.

 

Age isn’t the only thing that can cause dementia. If it is Alzheimer’s there are meds that can slow down the progress. They don’t always work but one of the main keys to success is taking it at the onset of symptoms. The sooner they take it the better it works.

 

Poor blood flow to the brain can mimic the symptoms too. If you are able to convince him to go to the doctor, ask about having his circulatory system checked. Sometimes that is as easy as listening to the veins in his neck with a stethoscope. Or an EKG. My doctor has a portable one in her office. I’ve had it done numerous times. It takes longer to stick on the electrodes than it does to run the test.

 

If your father’s “only” problems are with financial matters, you may try to get power of attorney and take over their finances. He probably wouldn’t like that. At the very least you could talk to his bank and tell them to flag his account. If they see any unusual activity they could alert you. If he has charge cards, they may do that for you too.

 

As I said, I don’t really have a lot of experience with it. I’m just throwing out ideas. If I think of anything else I’ll add it. Wish I could help more. :pray:

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My Mom has Vascular dementia .When talking with her you would not know it., but she can not care for herself.

Unless you get financial power of attorney the bank can not help you. To get power of attorney without his consent you would have to go to court and prove he incompetent.

While it is possible to get control of someone's finances without the his approval and participation through guardianship, this is a long and difficult process and circumstances must be extenuating for you to succeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_5698989_financial-power-attorney.html

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Just tell the doctor what is happening. You might ask for an MRI as they can sometimes find stuff that otherwise is missed. If he is having small strokes or brain ischemia for instance.

 

One simple test for Alzheimer's is to ask the person to tell you the time from an analog clock or watch. It seems that is one of the first skills to be lost.

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Before I moved my parents up here, I got durable POA and medical POA. It was really helpful in looking at housing and filing the social services paperwork because I could do it without their input and distraction. They did sign it and review it with me before I filed it. I *can* legally make decisions and act on their behalf, however, I want them to do so for as long as possible. I don't want to seem like I'm taking something away.

 

Also, last night and this morning was taken up with placing a credit freeze on their credit scores. For some reason I couldn't do it online so I will have to do it via mail or phone Monday. When I did my research on this short-term loan business, not only does this company have my dad's ss#, they also have banking information, address, and other vital stats. By placing a credit freeze, it prevents stuff like this from happening and with 48 hours notice, we can temporarily unfreeze for one business (say a bank for a car loan) or permanently unfreeze. In my state for people over 65, it is free, so I am paying for my mom, since she isn't 65 yet.

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Ask his doctor to do these tests: thyroid, vitamin B12 and Vitamin D. Thyroid problems and B12 deficiency can both cause dementia and D deficiency can cause depression, lack of concentration and other similar things. I listened to a lecture by a brain surgeon a few years ago and he said the first thing the does with a new patient is do those three blood tests. He believes that many nursing home patients have these deficiencies and could actually be living normal lives if they were treated.

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C4C,

 

Different dementias present in different ways. Alzheimer's usually presents with symptoms of memory loss; frontal-temporal dementia presents with personality changes; and so on. There are so many different types of dementia, and more being discovered all the time.

 

I know how reluctant you are to use the POA. It is a very difficult thing to do, deciding when you are justified in taking the power for your parent's medical care into your own hands. If he is willing to visit a doctor to discuss the possible onset of dementia, that is great...have him do it. Set up the appointment, go with him for the assessment, be there during the diagnosis. However, if he refuses to be proactive about this, it might be time to use that medical POA. I know that's hard. But an early diagnosis can be a very, very good thing. You can't cure dementia, but there are strategies to handle it. Even if he doesn't want to go on medications for it (and personally, I think that most dementia-oriented meds are not worth their weight in beans...it seems like the side effects from most of them outweigh the benefits of the med), you can be armed with a specific diagnosis and strategies to work with that particular type of dementia. There are memory exercises, sensory explorations, ways to help your dad work his way through the puzzle that is early-onset dementia. Will it cure it? No. But will it make that first stage of dementia more navigible, and his life of better quality? Yes.

 

I'm so sorry that you are on this threshold. I know how difficult it is for somebody you love to have any form of dementia. My heart goes out to those on our boards who do have a loved one who is making that difficult, wandering, and confusing journey. It's a terrible disease. But if you can catch it early on, you can get your Dad help to make his way through it. I will be praying for you and your parents, C4C...Please keep us updated on what you decide to do so we can journey with you in prayer.

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One simple test for Alzheimer's is to ask the person to tell you the time from an analog clock or watch. It seems that is one of the first skills to be lost.

 

 

Another is tying a knot like you would in sewing thread. A friend that worked at a nursing home told me this one. It made sense after she told me that the threads in one of the last quilts my grandmother embrodried for me kept coming out. She knotted EVERYTHING she sewed and drove my mom nuts that she wouldn't weave the ends into the stitches, so when that happened I knew something was wasn't right. It was over 10 years later before she got to the point she had to go into a nursing home.

 

 

Before you talk to the doc, sit down and write down the behavioral changes you see and take it with you so you don't forget. The way they try to rush through visits, it's easy to forget after you get there.

Ask his doctor to do these tests: thyroid, vitamin B12 and Vitamin D. Thyroid problems and B12 deficiency can both cause dementia and D deficiency can cause depression, lack of concentration and other similar things. I listened to a lecture by a brain surgeon a few years ago and he said the first thing the does with a new patient is do those three blood tests. He believes that many nursing home patients have these deficiencies and could actually be living normal lives if they were treated.

 

Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman writes a lot about these deficiencies in her books and on her website. Here's a link to one of her blogs on vitamin d and thyroid tests. http://www.annlouise.com/blog/2009/04/06/vitamin-d-levels-thyroid-function-keys-to-live-longer/

 

 

Praying for you and yours.

 

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So I have a question here - just throwing it out to the group - about dementia. I've done reading and research about it and I'm seriously worried my dad may be getting dementia.

 

Today was the 3rd bizarre financial incident inside of about 18 months.

 

1. FBI Nigerian Scam $700+ dollars

 

About a year + ago, I almost had to cart my dad down to the FBI office to prove to him that they did NOT request his help nor do they ask people for money. He was soaked for over $700.

 

2. Last spring he "lost" $1200, almost his entire SSI disbursement. He stopped at a grocery counter to get a money order, set the envelope down, looked away and the money was gone. He borrowed money from me and friends to pay rent that month, almost becoming evicted.

 

3. Today, he was "awarded" a short term loan for almost $2000 when he (without my mom's permission) applied for a short term loan for "personal reasons" through one of those on-line banking loan places, a.k.a. virtual loan sharks. Interest on these things can be up to 40%. He said this loan was to pay my husband and I back for their moving expenses. I have told my parents numerous times that *if* we get the deposit and rent money back then we will talk, but this was a GIFT, not a loan. Oh, and these crooks have his banking information now. :banghead:

 

I had to tell my mom about it and the only thing we can think of is to immediately transfer the monies when auto-deposited into another account when he gets them from the government and then not have his name on that account.

 

Dad doesn't mean harm, but he isn't making sense either. The thing that gets me is that he is putting others in harms' way, mainly my disabled and blind mother.

 

Any ideas for specific phrases or tips I may be able to provide a physician to ask for an evaluation?

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

I've dealt with dementia a lot unfortunately. My mother had Lewy Body Dementia and now my dad has dementia, I think vascular. The dr. said it wasn't Alzheimer's, but whatever you want to call it, it's not fun. All of the advice given is true. Always check thyroid and B12..my dad was low in both. Also check the carotid (sp) arteries in the neck area - that can change a persons thinking a lot. We had to go to a cardiologist for that. They also did a brain scan to check for TIA's or any abnormalities. My dad was clear of the last two, which I'm thankful for, but memory is still not good. I think it's a slow progression. You notice small things that don't quite seem right, but write it off to some other reason. Then things start happening more often and then you really notice and know you need to find out. Start with a good dr. that will do all these test and see for sure...don't just let someone say he has Alzheimer's because that's not always true. Sometimes its just an east diagnosis not to have to find a reason. If it is you just deal with it daily and do the best you can. That's all any of us can. It's only my dad and I now...and I make plenty of mistakes, but try to take care of him the best I can. Made lots of mistakes with my mom that I swore I wouldn't do with my dad...boy I wish I could take those back or have done more, but hindsight is 20/20. Do the best you can and I hope you find its some other reason rather than dementia.

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I worked several years with a woman that had a type of dementia

not Alzheimers. We gave her niacin and it made a big difference.

Her mind was much more clear .She still had her good and bad days

but the good days were more often and she was more manageable.

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Thanks for all the comments. It's been rough. He actually called me asking/ accusing me of going into the spare room and moving papers around, hiding things from him. No, I replied, I hadn't been there for days and you moved things AFTER I was there. I know a fraction might be not being careful, like folding a paper and losing it among others - I mean who hasn't done that? But deep down, I know this is far more serious.

 

I did speak with a couple of social workers in my state. I have requested a full work-up for him, including dementia. Meanwhile, I've gotten him some B vitamins, including niacin.

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C4C, just a suggestion...watch your Dad with the niacin. Some people have a very uncomfortable sensation of flushing and fever with it. They'll turn very red and feel extremely hot. I don't think it's dangerous, but it can be very disconcerting for the person who is experiencing it. Keep a good eye on Dad in case he has that reaction and gets scared.

 

Hugs and love to you, C4C...I know that this is so scary, sad, and hard. We're lifting you up in prayer and love.

 

:bighug2:

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