I'm thinking of my family and what I would expect of them if I contracted alzheimer's. Do I expect them to nurse me personally? Take time off work, do all the feeding, cleaning, medicating, everything? Or should I tell them that I want to go to a nursing home? That would be less burdensome to them.
My real question is, when I don't recognize my family anymore, do I expect them to continue caring for me or visiting me in a nursing home?
2007-08-01 04:02:06 · 10 answers · asked by TX Mom 7 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
Debbie ,
You ask a great question. As a home health nurse, I see this on a regular basis. I am a firm believer that patients should remain at home as long as possible. Since that is where they will thrive, be most at ease, and get better care then they might other wise recieve in a care facility.
I myself have cared for sick family member in the home , i reciently lost my gram, to terminal cancer. It was a family choice to keep her home, and we would have done so no matter what was wrong with her. I got home care to come in and help twords the end of my pregnancy. I had my baby girl a month after her death.
I have had alot of experience with Alzheimer's. It is so sad to watch them lose the ability to do the simplist little thing. They have to be watched as well as you watch your baby. Alzhiemers really isnt that bad for the patient once they get past the stage they KNOW they are losing it. Its very hard for the family. Its heart breaking to family when they no longer know you. If i myself got it. I would want them to keep me home until i was no longer able to hold my bodliy fuctions, or a danger to myself. Then I would want to go to a care facility so they could go on with their life. It would be easier for them to visit me then to have to look at me daily in that shape. Medicare will pay for a care person to help so many hours a week, and you state has aging programs to help you stay in your home as long as you wish. At little to low sometimes no cost to the family. It worth checking into.
The really sad thing about this disease is that alzheimers is not usually what they they from. It is complications of it, for example phenomia, other illnesses. They get to a point where they do not want to eat. and without nutrician the body starts to break down.
As a general rule this disease makes their personality do a 360..... If the patient was a religous god fearing person, and very sweet, I have seem them become the most filthy mouthed hatefull person You would ever meet. This is very hard for the family to understand and deal with. They have alot of emotion outbusts because they dont understsnd what is happening, no matter how many time you tell them. People tend to get sharp with them because they tell them things a million times, but to them they have never heard it.
If this is a concern for you... write all your love ones letters, like your kids and husband........... while you are in your right mind ...... tell them how much you love them nd what they mean to you, or make a video tape .......... that way they will always have that to treasure. I have done this for my kids because you never know what the future holds.....
They are working on drugs to help and I hope before we know it they can cure it. Some of the new drugs out have been shown to slow it way down, so that you will live more of your life as normal as possible. ts all still new to tell. The original drugs they came out with, seem to help some but destroyed the liver. So then you had a whole new set of problems. So it is something to think about and decide what you want.
Smile you have many yeas before you would have to worry about this !!!! Your not that old !!!
2007-08-01 12:03:07 · answer #1 · answered by tammer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally i have seen alot of alzheimers patients. They are all relatively at a nursing home because it becomes hard for the family to care for them. I'm not sure if you know, but alzheimers patients tend to be very different and strange at times. They tend to forget everything one minute, and make up stuff in there minds. They can very hard to handle, and I'm sure it is hard for the family to deal with watching their loved one suffer. If they decide to put you in a nursing home or care at home, either way just be sure that they love you no matter what. Also remember that nursing homes cost alot, and that might be more burdensome if they have to pay to keep you cared for.
2007-08-01 11:06:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
You could ask them to give you a combination of PS (phosphitydylserine) (sp?) and DHA. There is PET scan evidence of the brain that those two, only when used in combination, greatly increases brain energy and function in Alzheimer patients.
There's a product called Neuro PS Gold that contains those ingredients and other brain nutrients such as acetyl-l-carnitine.
The addition of high doses of protein enzymes (Vitalzyme, for instance) could also be highly beneficial in helping to untie the jumbled knots in the brain.
And then your whole family could go do stuff together and have fun remembering the old days.
Good luck and be well.
Kelley
2007-08-01 11:30:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think it would be fair to ask them to take care of you as much as they reasonably can. Don't make them quit their jobs or sacrifice their own children for you, but it would be nice for them to be there for you. If possible, maybe hire a nurse to come to the house and help. I think when it gets to the point that you no longer know who they are, it's time to move into a nursing home. The people there would be much better trained to make sure you are well taken care of and don't wander off and hurt yourself or get lost.
2007-08-01 11:06:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, my grandma had alzheimers and my family took care of her until she died. Me personally, I would love for my family to do the same for me. I have a big family (9 brothers and sisters, mother, father, two children). If it became impossible for my family to care for me, I guess I would be sad if they placed me in a nursing home, but they have to do what they have to do.
2007-08-01 11:06:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I would think it would b something u should sit down & talk 2 them about. Tell them exactly whut u just said here.
2007-08-01 11:04:45 · answer #6 · answered by BETHEA B 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
you dont remember stuff you did like 2 minutes ago
2007-08-01 11:10:21 · answer #7 · answered by PunkRocKa25 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i would expect my family to take care of me up to a certain point, then they can just toss me over a bridge. i wouldn't know anyway
2007-08-01 11:05:30 · answer #8 · answered by skeezbucket 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
tell them to shoot you dead at the first sign and take the weight off their shoulders.
2007-08-01 11:04:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
who knows..but you should'nt be thinking of that.
2007-08-01 11:05:03 · answer #10 · answered by 1chunx4u 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋