Dementia, Real Stories

Camouflaged Memory Testing and Communication

Senior Moments If you are just starting to notice more "senior moments", more forgetfulness, changes in behavior, attitude, more repetitive questions or stories in yourself or a loved one, it is probably time to have an assessment. (My father, of course, noticed these situations way before we did.  But again, he didn't mention it for a long period of time.) Mom knew she was having memory issues, and that she repeated herself.  When I would get frustrated, she would say something like, "I realize I repeat myself, but I am getting old.  Be nice, just let me." (Looking bac

by loripatterson2001
Real Stories

Short-lived Retirement

 A Surprise for Shannan From my friend Shannan ... In July 2018, after 23 years in business, I closed the doors to my office.  It was time to start a new era of traveling and riding my horses. In fact, I was enjoying a six-week trip out west when my husband's sister asked if their mother could come to spend a month with us in September. I said that would be fine. Well, to our surprise, mom arrived a month early, on August 3, 2019. So, unfortunately, the retirement I was so excited about didn't last long. Additionally, my sister-in-law never intended for her mother to re

by loripatterson2001
Real Stories

The, “almost”, start of it all

I say the “almost” start of it all because for a long while dad told us mom wasn’t remembering things like she used to, she was flighty and more argumentative. But like so many people, we just put it off to her getting older. The aging process.  (By the way, I later learned that “getting old” isn’t a diagnosis for memory loss.) The Whole Story We also learned that dad wasn’t telling us the whole story about their home life. Why would he? We most certainly would have advised them to, and made sure they moved out of their home of 40 years into a much smaller more ma

by loripatterson2001