Would You Rather Your Loved One Had Dementia or Alzheimer's or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration?

I do not consider the word 'dementia' outdated. 'Madness' you say? Try being the sole caregiver for an 80 year-old Phase I spouse. Sudden emmotional outbursts (especially in public places) gives a 'madness' impression to the casual observer. The word 'Alzheimer's' is frightening and is interpreted by the average person as a death sentence. In his case, vascular dementia is what I have called it from day one.

My dads mom had dementia and back then it was called "senile". The term that makes you sound like your crazy. My dad was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's and has the same habits that his mother did. He is not crazy. I guess she wasn't either. What a horrible disease. It strips away your identity whether you like it or not. I am now doing research for my blog which is all about my dad. www.alzheimersteam.com

Dear, Dear Paula! thanx so much for tHIS! What a God-Send of a re-Viewing of our use of language. just recently i not so gently corrected my sister's thanking me for taking care of our Mom: "Nope! No, no, no! Hardly!" and then suggested "it's not care-taking or care-giving, it's care-SHARING" - Mom in her own sweet way(s) touched me back so so much. i have an Asperger's-like condition, and for the first time in our lives Mom and i were sort of the same size and could reach each other in ways that depended not nearly so much on words as deeds of TLC and just playing together-having FUN! and i enJOYed all the hands-on helping her get and stay ready for our days/daze Filled with such surprises and JOY in simple stuff like manicures and gliding on the porch and doing wheelies in her wheelchair, rolling a ball on the floor, getting to know fuzzy critters i'd brought with me to share because NOW she could appreciate my touchable world..all this after eating blueberry pancakes with orange marmalade in bed to wake UP^ more than our appetites, having stroked her face with a warm washcloth and freshened her mouth with just a taste of toothpaste, etc. etc. - being often rewarded with happy grins and words like "mmmm...that feels so good" and "you're my pancaker!" Then together we'd choose her outfits from the "Mama Department Store" and after powdering and/or lotioning her feet i'd slip socks and shoes on her, knowing that she must have done that for me thousands of times before i got the hang of it! Well...as i wrote my sister, even though neither of us will be able to recall the details at all well, we left each other happy and great-full hearted, with HIStory etched UP^on our hearts." My mom and me, WE were truly care-sharers. Thanx for the privilege of reNEWing these experiences just a tiny bit - hope-fully others will be enCOURAGEd and reSPIRITed by Jesus in your own way of care-sharing that's so much more Rewarding than care-taking or care-giving! if you'd like to converse, you can always find me home here eager to visist with you at gollyboy@peoplepc.com! Be always ALL Ways Blessed by the One Who daily Leads us thru...love to you all,Jesus'n'val (= Him in/and me!)Reaching toward ye...