Both of my parents have been diagnosed as having dementia. There is a practice in Lancaster that specializes in, well, dementia. It's called the Alzheimer's and Memory Care Program. We got connected to it, had mom and dad assessed in February, met with the staff in March and had a follow up yesterday.
For the most part, at this point, this is all about the caregivers.
In terms of the standard Seven Stages, dad is nearing the end, at stage 6. He doesn't have Alzheimer's, which is a good thing for the rest of us. He has problems but is easy to live with, all things considered.
Mom does have Alzheimer's and can be a handful, more and more time goes on. She is stage 4 and can still provide limited care to dad, to whom she is devoted. She has extremely serious memory problems and is sometimes more harm than good with dad.
What seems to be unusual in our case is that the family is united in their care. There are many things to disagree about but we remain committed to not letting differences divide us.
What is daunting for me is my own future. Dementia is present on both sides of my family. There are times when I look at my parents and see my future.
Depressing. And, as I said, daunting.
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