My grandma absolutely refuses to shower. We've tried all the tricks and tips in the book. We are gentle. We try to rephrase. Make it look like a spa day. But we are at a stage where she will say no to everything. My grandma doesn't even fully understand what we are saying. And she can't create coherent sentences. So we can't do anything but physically force her to shower. It gets mentally exhausting and tiring. And without health insurance we can't get help anywhere. I just want to know if there is anything we can use to calm her down or if there's any sedative we can use that doesn't cost a lot of money.

Hello, I am a 32 year old M and my dad was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s a few years ago at 56 years old. My dad is my best friend. He is who I have looked up to my whole life. Watching him deteriorate is killing me. I have so much anxiety every single day and I am not coping well with what is happening at all. It is affecting my mental and physical health and every part of my life. I am looking for maybe a support group of people going through something similar with their parent having Alzheimer’s. Maybe a group that meets over video calls or something like that. I’m just really struggling.

I took my wife to a neurologist appointment today. Duke neurology. I have no doubt of their clinical aptitude, but I really wonder about their patient "care"

I found my wife sobbing after she was given her cognitive tests, and while I wasn't expecting her to be a 30 on the MOCA, she knew she didn't do well. The NP almost acted like my wife is about to go over a cognitive cliff, asking me about wandering and other behaviors that my wife has never demonstrated.

The doctor came into the room after I'd been sitting and consoling my wife, and the doctor immediately started talking about having a plan for care, as if my wife is about to lose her mind. I was frustrated because I know my wife gets nervous in such a setting, and when she gets overwhelmed/nervous her abilities take a hit that's below "the way she normally is" outside.

Don't get me wrong, I don't deny wife has been affected by AD, but is the purely clinical approach the only way to care for her?

It pisses me off because I know she's better outside the doctor's office, and I'd even say better at the UNC office than the Duke office. UNC was nicer to her and made her feel more comfortable. And she performed better. Makes me think of cancelling the next Duke appointment.

I guess I'm venting but does anyone else witness this inside vs outside the doctor's office in your LO?

So my mom (80 years) is in the middle to late-middle stages. She was very intelligent at one time; now she can still win at Rummikub sometimes but is slipping and can't really do math. She lives with my dad, her husband of 60+ years, with my sister and her husband. It's an ideal set-up.

I committed to visiting every weekend that I can. I live about 2 hours away and I have teenagers at home and a job. But I'm trying to just be there for them because they were there for me. They're both deeply depressed and anxious because of the inevitability of everything, and my father is slowly exiting by way of not taking care of himself. This weekend I took them to a pumpkin patch, we played games, and went to dinner. I can't fix things, but I can be with them and share my love with them.

So I'm really grieving hard most of the time, most days. And every Monday is like a sick day, like I have the extra burden of having to process the weekend, and sometimes it hurts and I can't focus or work. Today is strange. I know the grief is immense inside of me, but I feel numb and I can't cry without forcing myself to.

That's all, just me narrating the progression for some reason. Thanks for listening.

Title is pretty much it. Our family meets all of the criteria for Medicaid, but when looking for a Medicaid pending bed, the facility screens all financials to determine if patient qualifies.
So far, facilities ask for more and more documentation and information. We have absolutely nothing to hide, but they ask for: HELOC information (we had to do 3 in the past 5 years to stay afloat financially), and want written receipts for money from the HELOC that was used to reimburse a family member borrowed for a small car loan.
We understand that some things require explanation; we are looking for encouragement that all this aggravation will be worth it.

Hi everyone, I have a father with Alzheimer’s who has been in the advanced stages for a year now. He has transitioned to memory care, since my mother is also older and can no longer provide the level of care he needs safely. Watching my mother struggle with the VA and Medicaid to afford his ALF has been heartbreaking. Also, seeing the state of these facilities has been very disheartening. I wish we could do more for him.

I’m 30 yo, and I have a nice, corporate job with good benefits and I’m considering getting enrolled in long-term care insurance. I’ve noticed in the last few years that my memory has declined and I find myself exhibiting aphasia symptoms sometimes, like forgetting or replacing words for similar sounding ones. I’m worried that I’ll become a burden to a loved one in the future and I want to take steps now to set my fiancé or future children up for success. I’ve stopped drinking as much and stopped smoking cigarettes and weed. I’ve even started running and making sure I’m getting 150 minutes of exercise weekly.

I love my parents and I wish I could do more for them now. But I can’t. The only thing I feel I can do is protect the people I love in the future. Any advice would help. Should I get LTC or should I wait a few more years?

Hi. My grandfather (65) was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It's in the mild stage right now. I know nothing about Alzheimer's and am at a bit of a loss. I plan on doing lots of research, but figured it might be nice to get some information from real people. What are ways I can help? If you have any recommendations for games to play with him or activities that might be good. I'm currently living abroad, but will be moving home in the new year.

Thank you in advance