It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May. My father drove to the store for my mom. Seven hours later he came home. Our family was extremely worried. We did not know what could have happened. When my father walked in, he told my mom that he decided to go for a leisurely ride. Later on, we learned that he got lost and forget his way home. That night we took his keys away. Since my parents live on their own, we did not see any changes in his behavior. When he seemed a little forgetful, we though the forgetfulness came with age. I felt so guilty that we should have known what was going on. Immediately, I decided that he needed to see his doctor. The doctor send him to a neurologist. Sure enough he was diagnosed with Dementia. How could our family not see the signs? That day changed our family and our lives forever. My mother, who has always relied on her husband was angry and went into denial. My father seemed to be in his own world, far from us. They became like children that both now seem to need care. My father did not believe the doctors diagnosis and stated that the doctor was lying. That day it seemed like our lives had stopped. Dementia not only took over my father's mind, but our lives as well. Dementia does not effect one person. It affects everyone in the family. A person who has Dementia has a tendency to live in his or her own world. They only believe what they think. It's almost like a comfort zone for them. Changes in memory or thinking is not normal at any age, so be aware when you start to notice abnormal behavior. Immediately have your parent visit their family doctor. Make sure that your parent's physician takes the time to properly diagnose your loved one. Ask for a referral to a neurologist if necessary. Your parent needs help and it's up to you to enlist a plan of care as soon as your parent is diagnosed with Dementia. Educate yourself about the resources that are available. Be realistic about the situation. Weigh all of your options and know your limitation. Don't make any decisions out of the guilt you may be feeling. Learn to manage your stress as a care provider. Stress can jeopardize your health, relationships as well as cause depression. The following may be some of the sign that your parent may be affected by Dementia.
1. Memory Loss
2. Problem with expressing themselves
3. Difficulty with performing tasks
4. Neglectful of their hygiene
5. Misplacing things
6. Asking the same question over and over
7. Not remembering names of friends or family members
8. Disorientation of time and place
9. Changes in their mood/personality
10.Not having any interest in the world around them
11. Problems with thinking
12. Loss of appetite
Most often, people with Dementia often try to hide the fact that they may be ill. They will not discuss it or want to deal with it. It is up to you to try to make them aware that there is a problem and that you will be there for them and help them through it. Encouraging their independence at any level and supporting them is very important. This is the time when parents need to be around their family the most, and not feel isolated. Your parent still needs to feel connected and loved by you and their grandchildren. If you are are care provider and need to get additional assistance with the care of your parent, in-home care eases the burden for families. Families then can feel free to spend quality time and not stressful time with their parent on a different level and enjoy each other. In-home care assistance can help stabilize family relationships removing the guilt, responsibility and stress. Since the responsibility of care provider can produce enormous feelings of anger, guilt and tension in families, adult children can get back to their own lives, families or jobs while still providing care for their parent without guilt or anger. Share your story with us. we would love to hear from you. If you or someone you know needs additional assistance with the care of a loved one please visit
http://www.heartsofgoldcare.com/ 
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