... Good question Luau. From my experience, Dad (Vascular Dementia) retained more of his sense of smell where as Mom (Alzheimer's) lost her sense of smell even before diagnosis. My best guess is that Vascular would depend on the part of the brain affected and the progression since it is different for each patient. Alzheimer's and Parkinson seem to have more standardized... (5 replies)

... Ninamarc... many with dementia do prefer the sweets or even salty foods. Many think this is because those are the last taste to go but this is not so. Bitter is the last taste to go. Most sweets are not bitter. Even if the sweet is not as intense, it is at least not bitter as many of other foods. You will find that they like the milk chocolate better than the more bitter... (5 replies)

... You are doing the right thing. The dolls are her kids when the kids are infants. You guys are too old now for her. :) I have seen in the nursing home that some old ladies are holding a baby doll. They think it is real. Sometimes the residents tease them for the dolls. But the ladies calm down with the dolls. Some have stuffed animal (I imagine some ladies never had kids.)... (6 replies)

... Well, she's a drama queen and can s*ck the life right out of you, so I can only let her lead the conversation for a little bit. :) Yes, these middle stages of dementia are so hard. My dad died from Alzheimer's last June and he didn't get violent until about a month before he died. We were very lucky ... he was generally very happy. My cousin is a complainer (and she's the... (7 replies)

... I moved my elderly cousin here from NYC 3 yrs ago. She was an actress, and suffers from major depressive illness, anxiety, ADHD, and dementia/Alzheimer's. She had fallen 3X and broken her hip and tailbone and refused PT, and became addicted to oxycodone. When she weighed about 90 lbs, and the svc I hired in NY got her file mixed up w/someone else's, I moved her to VA, taking... (7 replies)

... Deb, I really appreciate your advice! Almost all of the dementia literature is about Alzheimer's, and many people don't even know there is any other kind. It is horrible for you to have gone through both, but that makes you an invaluable source of information. Since my husband is somewhat better than when he was at his worse, he thinks he is going to be cured, and even his... (11 replies)

... Arleed, you did say he has vascular dementia :) With Vascular Dementia the symptoms depend on the part of the brain that is affected. Dad had Vascular Dementia and his progression was very different from Mom's Alzheimer's. His short term memory was much better than hers. He did have holes in those memories. He would remember I called but also tell Mom that I said I was... (11 replies)

... My late FIL with Alzheimer's didn't want to hire any caregiver either. He wanted to save money. He didn't like housekeepers either when his late wife was alive. He really needed full-time/part-time help at that time, so the home care co. president came to his house and talked to him. This guy is really outgoing and knows how to talk to him. They got along and my late FIL... (8 replies)

... The reason I suggested the professional sitting in on the family meeting is because many times you have that "parent - child" relationship to deal with. Mom and Dad tell the kids what to do and they do it... not the other way around. Especially the "old fashion" elderly can find this degrading. Yet they will listen to a professional. I dealt with the yelling as well. ... (8 replies)

... Randy, if you had the time, I have the time and would read it all. The decision you are about to make is a difficult one at best. I am just happy that your Dad has made such progress in recovering from his broken hip and surgery. That is wonderful for you both :)... and not the usual story that I hear. Nor for your current decision, I think you said it yourself. Where... (5 replies)

... Arleeda... everything you went through in your post is because of the dementia. Please stay put with your family where there is a support system for you, and for him. Please believe me when I say that he will not be happy anywhere. The dementia has affected so much of his cognition that he was right when he told you that he will only be happy in the past... and you are... (11 replies)

... Question: Besides the Alzheimers,' other problems might be present. Are they giving her seroquel or another anti-psychotic medication? When my father was in the nursing home, they were giving seroquel, and he fell a lot; then I discovered that dizziness is one of the side-effects of the drug. After I brought him home, anytime I had to give him seroquel he fell--every... (3 replies)

... ChatyKat, you seem to be describing my Mom. UTI's seemed to precede each of her major down turns. Her first UTI did exactly what it did to your Mom. She went down in abilities and started wandering out in the parking lot. She got better but not to base line and still wandered. This was when she ended up in a locked dementia unit. Shortly thereafter she started losing... (3 replies)

... This sounds like she is closer to the late stage/stage 7 for not talking and falling. Soon she won't be able to walk because she cannot balance herself and thus she falls. Could you try to make her use a cane? She just needs a cane to help herself. Later on she would need a walker and eventually she will need a wheelchair. For now, I think you may want to ask the doctor for... (3 replies)

... My 77 yr. old mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's...10 months ago, she had her first UTI...her symptoms worsened dramatically, overnight. She started to wander outside to the parking lot in the assisted living facility that she was living in. Five weeks later, after being on antibiotics, she had not come back to baseline and we were told the AL couldn't care for her,... (3 replies)

... You already have some good advice here. I would definitely give Luau's comment some thought. Mom was Dad's care giver and I noticed her temperament being the same. "All he does is sit and ___ all day!" She said she was not going to do it all and complained about his laziness. If anything out of the ordinary happened she blamed it on Dad. Yes, he had Vascular Dementia and... (8 replies)

... Would your Dad possibly consider a live-in caregiver? They work in exchange for room and board plus some extra, but are often less expensive overall than the per hour aides. She doesn't sound like she needs nursing or professional care, just a kind compassionate good hearted person who can take care of her basic needs, fix meals, do some cleaning, and shop, Etc. It would be a... (8 replies)

... First, I'm sorry for what you're going through. I truly hope you can find some answers to your concerns. Second, I'm not a medical expert, but I have been caring for my 91 year old father for over ten years. He was diagnosed with vascular dementia, not Alzheimer's, although I think these dementias can overlap, especially over time (I think he's showing signs of Alzheimer's... (11 replies)

... stephdig... don't even get me started on doctors and driving! Even after a diagnosis of moderate to sever dementia consistent with Alzheimer's, Mom's primary physician told her it was ok for her to drive if she would just focus more. DUH! I explained that she had a warrant for a hit and run, had several other minor driving incidents as well. She had never had any driving... (12 replies)

... It is hard to say how long. My late FIL with Alzheimer's had stopped knowing how to get food or that he needed to eat back in early 2010. But he didn't stop feeding himself until 4/2012. It takes a long while to get worse to the end stage. About walking, it is the same thing, my late FIL started using a cane in early 2008 and it lasted 3 years until he fell and used the walker... (3 replies)