My husband keeps losing things. Is he slipping into stage 3 already?

Oh, also... there is a new product called Tile that you can attach to things and an app on your cell will locate them. I will get the app on MY cell because he loses that, too.

Hi, blueeyed ... My husband is not quite as bad as yours is. He does the shuffle, the mumbling with his head down, shakes and drops/loses things. But he still walks without the walker and is still social. To answer one question, I don't think the PT he had at the balance clinic didn't help very much but he hasn't fallen in a couple of months now. Al is a very smart man, graduated cum laude from college and went on for a PhD. I think this has helped with the PD. I dread the day when he will need help with more things if his mind stays so alert. We got him a "zipper" necktie and a shirt that has velcro instead of buttons so he can still dress himself.

I know it is different when it's your father instead of a husband. I lost both my parents before they ever needed help. Just hang in there, get help when/where you need it and try to keep smiling.

Laney -- according to the list I found on-line, it sounds like your husband is in stage four. The last stage (five) is when he will need around the clock nursing care. My Al is 77.

My Al is only in a stage 2, slowly progressing to a 3. He can still take care of his daily needs. My caregiving right now is mainly reminding of him like which street he needs to turn on to reach his doctor and taking his cane to prevent falls.

Where I live, we have something called "5 County Council on Aging" which can help you get people who can come to your house to help with your spouse if he doesn't have medical needs and is mobile.

Stage 5 is the end of the line one, where he won't be able to get out of bed and you will have to feed him, etc. At that stage, you will need to move him to a home. You might start visiting the ones in your area now so that when the time comes, you'll be better able to make the decision. All homes are not the same.

These are the men we've loved all our lives and depended on for strength and support. Even the thought of sending Al to a home is mind boggling. I feel your pain and will remember you in my prayers.

Amott....I pretty much an total caregiver already....my husband can go to bathroom if he only has to potty otherwise I have to take care of him. I shave,shower, and cloth him ....he can still,get that spoon to his mouth...I went to a meeting last night with my daughter on veterans benefits they have to have been a vet during a war time...the will pay 2,049 a month toward skilled care thank goodness..... Yes it is so hard to see your loved one slipping away before your eyes .....wishing you and your husband the best.... Eileen

LaneyM - (and everyone else please read this as you may be eligible for Veterans Aid & Assistance Program) LaneyM - you mentioned you went to a meeting to learn about Veterans Aid Benefits. The Veterans Aid & Assistance is a wonderful program, but a word of caution. Many meetings that discuss the program are held by investment firms. They say they will assist you in filing out the paperwork for free. They will do that but their main reason to help you is to get you to invest with their company. That's fine, if you're ready to invest money. Also do not go to any organization that requests that you pay them to help you fill out the forms. Go directly to your local veterans administration office or give them a call and they will help you free of charge. Check with your County Offices - many have a veterans dept. and they will assist you for free in filling out the paperwork. You should never have to pay anyone to assist you with that paperwork. Yes, you are right the person applying must have served in the military during a declared wartime. Also their spouse is eligible for benefits. You do not have to spend down your money like applying for Medicaid. The applicant will be able to keep any ss checks, pensions etc., that they receive. This program basically assists you financially, not based on your financial needs, but the fact that you or your spouse served during a declared war. To qualify for A&A it needs to be established by your physician that you require daily assistance by others to dress, undress, bathing, cooking, eating, taking on or off of prosthetics, leave home etc. You DO NOT have to require assistance with all of these. There simply needs to be adequate medical evidence that you cannot function completely on your own. Go to www.veteranaid.org and on the left side of the page you will see "The A&A Program". Click on that and it will give you a lot of information. Benefits are paid if the person needs to be put into a nursing home or an assisted living. It also provides benefits - visiting nurse, etc., if the person is still at home. The applicant will not receive benefits immediately upon filling out the application since it can take months for processing. However, once approved they will pay retroactive back to the 1st day - it's just that you may have to wait until the first payment arrives. It's a wonderful program and every veteran and spouse that is eligible should take advantage of the assistance - they fought for our country - now they should be helped. Good luck & God Bless!

I'm 62 and losing things. Actually I lost more things when the kids were small. Never did find my smartphone, which OK because I hated the damn thing.

Do you want to know how many pairs of gloves/mittens I lost in the winter of '95/96, when I was age 50? Well, I don't want to tell you. :-)

One factor in judging someone's progression is the baseline. Did he lose things often when he was "normal"? That is a little different than someone who hardly ever lost things suddenlybeginning to lose things right, left, and center.

Many years ago my mother had an unexplained seizure. The doctor was trying to see what lead up to it. All seven of Mom's kids were assembled. "Has she had a poor memory lately?" We looked at each other blankly. "Well," he tried to explain, "has she been forgetting the names of her grandchildren?" In spite of the seriousness of the situation we all burst out laughing. She gets OUR names wrong, never mind the next generation. This has been going on since she had more than one child. So that particular example didn't tell us anything about changes in her current status.

In addition to looking at lists of symptoms, it is important to use what you know about your loved one's abilities and weaknesses before the illness, to judge how serious the current symptoms are.

Thank you Elaine for all your valuable information. The people who were conducting the program I attended were a retired minister and a lady they were not or did not work with Va....they fill out the forms for free as many elderly have problems filling out this 26 page application/you get one thing wrong they reject it and you have to wait another entire year.....they have had 100% approval so far on all forms they have done....but you need to be careful for sure who you get to help you....a lot of people,don't know of this benefit they tend to keep it hush hush
Thanks again for your information will going to that web site need all the info I can get

My dad is 73. I think he is stage 3. He also loses everything so I know the treasure hunts everyday and night. I really love when he just has to find something that is not needed at that moment. My mind is starting to be photogenic-like, when in my head I see where it was laying around (as long as it is in the house). He shuffles, talks low and into his chest, but his mind is hanging in there and thank goodness we are not at the stage of total care. My husband and I live with him. We have been married 8 years and only been out on our own life for a year. Previously, we were caregivers for my mom who passed from breast cancer. So, it has been a long time that I have been care giving. I am in CT and wondering if anyone has ever participated in a Parkinson's study where they work on motor skills, especially with the difficulty walking and if it helped anyone. We are working on supplements to help him get stronger and help him to detox, since Parkinson's make it hard on the body to normally detox. I am hoping detoxing helps makes the oil he excretes through his hands better. (I have to wash surfaces at least 3-4 times a day, which is still better than what most are dealing with in bathroom clean up. Unfortunately when that time comes, I will have to get a nurse in to help because I just can't do it. I feel stretched so thin, find it hard to have a life of my own and am worried and stressed about his disease increasing. I am thankful he is still walking with his walker, but it is getting difficult for him. He is such a social guy who used to go out more and it is so hard watching him not be able to do what he loves. On losing things when we are out, I hold all his things so the stress is not there, I know nothing has been misplaced or dropped. I want to thank everyone for their comments. It really helps to read what others are going through and what I have in store for me. I have siblings that just do not want to know, which adds another stress making me full everything. I am hanging in there and trying to do the best I can. This site has been very helpful. Thank you everyone for listening and sending prayers of strength your way.