A scary encounter.

[XmisterIS]

Is Alzheimers brought on by poor lifestyle, or can anyone get it, no matter how well they look after themselves?

 

[tyred]

I think anyone can get it. My uncle has always taken care of himself, didn't smoke or drink, eats pretty healthily.

 

[Arch]

Is Alzheimers brought on by poor lifestyle, or can anyone get it, no matter how well they look after themselves?

I don't think it's down to poor lifestyle, but a good lifestyle might help to ward off the onset of symptoms perhaps? But anyone can get it.

My aunt has it, and she's always, as far as I know (She lives in Canada, so I don't know her all that well) lived a fairly good life, been averagely fit and so on - not sporty, but enjoyed gardening and so on.

My Mum made her first ever longhaul flight last year to go and visit, before her sister degenerated too badly. She's in a care home now. My Aunt was always the more 'glamourous' one I think (dyed her hair and so on), but looking at photos, she looked older than my Mum (she's actually 5 years younger).

 

[MarkF]

Alzheimers, it's horrific. My dad died endured it and died early, not long after retiring with UK, Irish and work pensions (that taught me to think about things differently I can tell you.). My mother kept him at home, despite outbursts of violence, for as long as possible with help from myself and my sister, but, it must have been hell for her. After one outburst he was immediately sectioned, the staff had no idea how we'd managed to cope with him at home for so long.

When he first started to show symptoms, he did things that would make any sane person irritable, but, it meant that whilst still mostly lucid, he inhabited a world where everybody around him was often rude and intolerant towards him, that can't have been very nice. Wish I could turn the clock back to the beginning and make his mostly lucid time different.


When you see your father, a man who'd always lookd after you and who you respected, pissing his pants in public or appearing sans trousers in public, it's tremendously upsetting rather than embarrassing. It was a relief when he died.

 

[Globalti]

Yep; my Dad died with it too. It's not limited by intelligence, social class or diet, it strikes anybody. It is sometimes called "the living death" because the victim's intellect just dies leaving the empty shell of their body. The carer is always the one who suffers the worst; my Mum went through ten years of hell.

I'm told there's no evidence of a hereditary link but since my grandparents both had it I'm not so sure. As soon as I get the diagnosis I'm going to climb a Scottish mountain in winter, neck a full bottle of Scotch then undress. I'll leave a fat cheque in my pocket for the rescue team.

Edit - Better to stuff the cheque down my shreddies if I'm going to undress.....

 

[Archie_tect]

A lovely couple, who our children called Granpa Jeff and Granma Shirley near us, suffered for 3 years as the lady got steadily worse, she used to injure herself but was looked after by her husband who tried his best to cope. The Police were called several times following injuries requiring trips to Casualty. They even thought he was hitting her and both had an awful time until Social Services were called in and they realised she was doing it herself. He was heartbroken and tried everything he could to keep her at home.

It's an awful way to die.

 

[subaqua]

dementia is a horrible thing to live with. my mum had been going downhill for years and refused to accept it. when she attacked my dad with the knife and was found wandering round town in just a nightie, 2 days after my youngest was born, enough was enough and we got social services in.

there is NO stigma to doing this and we got some very very good help advice and assistance. after a 6 week "voluntary " stay in the mental health unit at Wrexham Maelor the doc and social services advised we have her sectioned under section 3 of mental health act. this instantly meant her care became the responsibility of the PCT and Local Authority.

she has been in EMI care in a private nursing home (getting back some of the taxes she paid in all her working life) its sad to say that she no longer recognises my wife or kids , and sometimes struggles with who I am . somedays when i visit i see a little old lady in the bed and not my mum. my dad is a lot better since he stopped having to provide full time care and he looks 10 yrs younger than he did 3 years ago.

the right support is paramount and I give huge thanks to people like User who deal with cases like this daily.

next year i am aiming to do the CTC in aid of the Alzheimers society if i can gert fit enough.

 

[MacB]

dementia is a horrible thing to live with. my mum had been going downhill for years and refused to accept it. when she attacked my dad with the knife and was found wandering round town in just a nightie, 2 days after my youngest was born, enough was enough and we got social services in.

recognition and diagnosis are two areas we lack in and I don't think that's a lot to do with the medical profession. My limited experience, one friend and two relatives, showed that all three hid the onset, and severity, for a considerable period. Families and friends also colluded in this, myself as well, as we just didn't know and it's easy to write off small events. There's also an element of not wanting to believe the worst and not wanting to hurt feelings etc.

 

[subaqua]

denial. my mum had it, and my dad tried to get her to listen or see the doc.

all through my childhood i remember her making me and my brother promise not to put her in a home when she got old.

the day social services said she should be sectioned was a very hard day for me to deal with. i know it was the right decision and knew it then but it didn't make it any easier

 

[Archie_tect]

Subaqua- if you do take on the CTC for the Alzheimer's Society please let us all know- I'd be honoured to sponsor you.

 

[MarkF]

next year i am aiming to do the CTC in aid of the Alzheimers society if i can gert fit enough.

I'd be interested in doing that, let me know if you do get fit enough.

No the disease is nothing specifically to do with diet, health etc But there are prime candidates and my dad was one, he only had three interests in life, work, horse racing (gambling) and beer, he had no other interests or hobbies. Drinking beer and talking bollox in bars and bookies was his whole social life and boy did he enjoy it. When he retired then he only had two interests and now had time to expand them.................

My mother, similar age, has always drunk in moderation and as long as I can remember she has always been doing mental excercises, puzzles, crosswords, jigsaws etc She has always been physically active too, it was always my mother who walked the dog, she did trekking and of course did and still does cycle. Plenty of other hobbies and interests too. At 73 she is as a bright as a button and very healthy, she can still do the Times crossword in half the time it takes me.

Don't live too unhealthily.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Yep; my Dad died with it too. It's not limited by intelligence, social class or diet, it strikes anybody. It is sometimes called "the living death" because the victim's intellect just dies leaving the empty shell of their body. The carer is always the one who suffers the worst; my Mum went through ten years of hell.

I remember reading that they think it is down to the amount of red meat, etc people in the west eat as apparently it is very rare in certain other societies where they have a completely different diet.

 

[summerdays]

I remember reading that they think it is down to the amount of red meat, etc people in the west eat as apparently it is very rare in certain other societies where they have a completely different diet.

But my gran grew up on a very small farm in Northern Ireland and yes would have access to meat but not on a daily basis that would be more common to some now.

 

[Over The Hill]

My wife is a Health Visitor and she is finding health assessment and assessment for need to now be a matter of ticking certain boxes or not rather than taking a common sense professional approach. Sadly this becomes a crude tool to use and people like in the OP do not get the help and support they need simply because they do not fit to some rather rigid back and white criteria.

While some fit the boxes and get good support, some do not and are wrongly left to fend for themselves.

I really do not know how they cope with normal life let alone when something tricky happens like a pipe leak or the the heating breaking.