It is reassuring to know there are others experiencing this problem. At the same time it is so frustrating to experience this. If you add in the echoing it gets worse. I believe that the day will come when she will need around the clock care that I won't be able to provide. I feel it is getting close. I can't relax and leave her alone for fear she will either hurt herself or damage the house in some way. Today I found that she had cut up some paper towels and put some of the strands into a skillet.
Today was a sad day. We went to the DMV to surrender her license. Though it was her license, I felt something I can't really explain. It was a sadness and a realization of losing something valuable.
I hope the OP is reading this and getting some help from it.
Old Sailor - what you describe is similar to my mom's speech. The PPA has advanced to complete word substitutions for things - sometimes real words but most often made up words. Like the other day she called a clothes pin - a slimmer. Or today she called snow - fluff. There's some stuttering especially when she's tired. And mostly she understands what I'm saying. Only occasionally do I see that blank stare of not comprehending. My mom can still understand most of what she reads so sometimes I write down short messages so she can refer back to it when she gets stuck on remembering what I'm talking about. She is not able to write anything by herself. It was one of the saddest days when I realized she couldn't write her name anymore. For the most part I can "get" what she's saying. But it's exhausting on the days she really gets going because she's mad about something. Then things break down and I have to go more by her mood than being able to understand the words because it's not making sense at all. I often wonder what she hears herself say. It must make sense to her because most of the time she talks alot and enjoys being around the other residents. The hardest part for me was when she was in Assisted Living and the other less cognitively challenged seniors shunned her because they didn't understand much of what she said. It's better in Memory Care where the residents are much more accepting of each other's short comings. Hope it helps to know you are not alone.
Madzeena, what have you been experiencing? I have been learning to decipher many things. DW will use her native language to talk to me and will not translate to English. Or she will use the wrong words to ask for something or a place to go. Sometimes she will stutter or look at me and just recite numbers. Many times when I want her to do something she will look at me like I am from another planet. Once she makes up her mind to do something it is a struggle to get her to change. And the list goes on and on.
My mom is diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) which is part of Pick's Disease. The aphasia is progressing faster than the Alz so it's getting hard to understand her. This combination is challenging. And I would also like to hear from others dealing with PPA.
If you are referring to FTD, well then yes, I am. My wife has that disease with aphasia. It is just a whole lot of fun(not). Most of her memory is still good. Short time memory not so much. Speaking and expressing herself is a real struggle. Especially since English is a second language for her. Hygiene is a minor complication for us. She is pretty good after using the toilet but I still help with cleaning those areas. Dressing can be a problem. She sometimes decides to wear a bra, after she has put her blouse on. I have been told she is in the final stages. I hope this helps you some.
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If you add in the echoing it gets worse.
I believe that the day will come when she will need around the clock care that I won't be able to provide. I feel it is getting close. I can't relax and leave her alone for fear she will either hurt herself or damage the house in some way. Today I found that she had cut up some paper towels and put some of the strands into a skillet.
Today was a sad day. We went to the DMV to surrender her license. Though it was her license, I felt something I can't really explain. It was a sadness and a realization of losing something valuable.
I hope the OP is reading this and getting some help from it.
There's some stuttering especially when she's tired. And mostly she understands what I'm saying. Only occasionally do I see that blank stare of not comprehending. My mom can still understand most of what she reads so sometimes I write down short messages so she can refer back to it when she gets stuck on remembering what I'm talking about. She is not able to write anything by herself. It was one of the saddest days when I realized she couldn't write her name anymore.
For the most part I can "get" what she's saying. But it's exhausting on the days she really gets going because she's mad about something. Then things break down and I have to go more by her mood than being able to understand the words because it's not making sense at all.
I often wonder what she hears herself say. It must make sense to her because most of the time she talks alot and enjoys being around the other residents.
The hardest part for me was when she was in Assisted Living and the other less cognitively challenged seniors shunned her because they didn't understand much of what she said. It's better in Memory Care where the residents are much more accepting of each other's short comings.
Hope it helps to know you are not alone.
Once she makes up her mind to do something it is a struggle to get her to change.
And the list goes on and on.
It is just a whole lot of fun(not). Most of her memory is still good. Short time memory not so much.
Speaking and expressing herself is a real struggle. Especially since English is a second language for her.
Hygiene is a minor complication for us. She is pretty good after using the toilet but I still help with cleaning those areas.
Dressing can be a problem. She sometimes decides to wear a bra, after she has put her blouse on.
I have been told she is in the final stages.
I hope this helps you some.