Alzheimers?

A customer came in today and asked me to help his father enter his code at the autocashiers. The reason? "He is in the beginning stages of Alzheimers." Should this man really be driving? He didn't look a day over 95, but you could tell that nobody was home. Drive safe.

I think it's okay if he forgets his way to the mall, but if he forgets to stay to the right on a 2-way street, then there's an accident waiting to happen!

I had a patient in my ALF years back... a genius of a man (truley.. he was in the MENSA and had hurdreds of patents for Eastman Kodak in NY). On day he and his family went on vacation, early sign of Alzhiemers were being ignored. They went to Washington state to visit family. He told his family that he was just going to the store, not 1 mile away.... 10 hours later the found him. He was sitting in his car..... half of it dangling off a cliff!

I spent years working and living with alzhiemers patients. Have happy storie & tragic ones. Alzhiemers usually first manifest it's self in the late 30's-40's with subtle signs that are passed off. By the time it is diagnosed, the brain has suffered terribly. I have had families literally drop alzhiemers patients off at my door step... run and jump back in the car and take off leaving me with very confused, combative or frightened patients.

I enjoy my town this time of year... the accidents are cut down by 3/4.... only hear fire truck 1-2X a day! Helo landed close last night on the road... must have been a bad one. Only job I have yet to do in Nursing which I orginally set out to do over 20 years ago... be a flight nurse on lifeflight.

I don't care what they say about you Doug, you do good work.

Good information! I did not realize symtoms started that early. We have some ALF in my family (Great Grand mother and her son , my grandfather). Grandma had it ever since I could remember, no one had heard of ALF at that time. Grandpa went fast, he died 2.5 years after the noticible onset! He was still very strong and hard to control.

My Grandmother had alzheimers before she dies. It was very sad. Hope I don't get it! Hope my parents don't.

Yep, my attendant's wife had it. He would come in and tell me weekly how she was doing. It wasn't pretty. She finally died after 2 years of her going to a home. Jim tried to take care of her, but the demand that was needed was so great that he really couldn't do it. He cared for her a lot longer than most would have. He loved her.

Very tough disease i just lost my grandmother to it at 90. My story is a little different my grandmother functioned fine until about 89 year's old. She was diagnosed in her 70's, she just passed a few month's ago and i believe if not for a fall that broke her hip she would still be here living O.k. She was still eating on her own and just was starting to get forgetful with name's. She lived a full life and a good part with Alzeimers. I did notice after the surgery after broken hip it was like she was in a full late case of the disease. I've been told that the anesthesia did her in and progress it far worst.After surgery she passed away 3 week's later, but could not eat on her own or walk. So i guess my message from this long post is if living with somebody with disease to really make sure there's no fall's becase after a surgery this disease really show's how nasty it is.