The joys of dementia

[grampahol]

My dad, almost 91 now forgets things almost immediately.  Tonight I gave him his evening pills and within about 10 minutes asked me repeatedly if he already took them.. He did of course, but had to make sure..about 8 times in a row. 
I love the old man, but taking care of an elderly parent with dementia isn't nearly as much fun as seen on TV. He's been with me now about 6 years and it's been stressful to say the least. The last time I was away from the house longer than the time it takes to go grocery shopping was 3 years ago..
My sister is coming this week for a few weeks so I might just get away for awhile. I thought about taking a train up to New York for a few days and getting a nice amtrak private room then somewhere in NY for the night before heading back.. Still undecided.. 

[fredtoast]

My dads cousin took care of her husband for years by herself.  We don't know how she did it.  It was so bad she could not even talk on the phone very long if he wandered out of her sight.

[Goalpost]

My father had dementia and passed in January. Extremely difficult illness for everybody. My mom took care of him for 10 years until he fell one day requiring a hospital visit and social services got involved there, not allowing his release back to my mom. They wondered how the heck anybody not a professional could have watched him. He ended up in a Alzheimer home and lived in a community for 3 months. Eventually closed his eyes and stopped eating, referred to as 'end phase', and had brief hospice at the end. Father was in good health his life...good diet, didn't smoke, no diabetes, no heart issues,.....all things he could take care of himself with....but something he had no control over got him. We lived thru it all, the forgetting of names, his odd sleeping hours, took his license to drive away, his behavior, etc. My heart goes out to you dude. I lived close to my parents, closer than my siblings...didn't live there but was with it daily. There's just no good answer except to say it's not his fault