Anyone here in neurology know anything about frontal temporal lobe dementia?

Question

My sister has been diagnosed with this and I have heard it progresses very rapidly. She has lost a lot of her word find abilities and now she sometimes doesnt understand the words spoken to her.
I am assuming within a couple years she will be very demented and maybe not able to understand anything and probably totally dependent for all of her needs.
What would you do if you were in my position? I am 16 yrs younger than her. She lives in Virginia and I live in Illinois and we arent really that close, but I wouldnt wish this on anyone.

Answer 1

My dad has a different type of dementia so I know part of what you are dealing with. It is good that you are thinking about the future, when she will require more care. It is hard to know how to answer your question without knowing more about her situation, such as who else can help her, what her financial resources are, and how involved you want to be. It is definitely easier if the burden of caregiving is shared, and it may involve moving her to a facility if it is too difficult to care for her at home. The Area Agency on Aging in her county should be able to help with local resources. An elder law attorney can help get her papers in order, if she is still cognizant enough to choose someone to act on her behalf (durable powers of attorney for health and finances). The attorney can also advise you about planning ahead for Medicaid.

Good luck and I hope she gets the best care possible.

Answer 2

Has her physician mentioned Alzheimer's Type Dementia or given a cause for her dementia other than the diagnosis above? I'm a nurse and I work with Dementia patients and there are medications that can help slow the progression of Dementia, such as Avandia, Nemenda, and Aricept. If your sister has dementia that resulted from a head injury, then genetically speaking, I don't think you're much at risk.

However, it would probably be a good idea for you to make an appointment to visit with your primary care phsysician and talk to him or her about your concerns and ask if a physicial, including a thyroid check and complete blood workup, might be in order for you.

Peace,

Beki