[who_would_fardels_bear]

I saw him last year at a book signing and he was very cogent and funny.

A couple of months back he was caught on TMZ looking for his car. Apparently he had forgotten where he parked it and was wearing the kind of stuff you would only wear around the house, so it seemed like something was wrong.

But the next day he was joking with reporters and seemed in the best of health.

I don't know what to make of this.

[Loud Mime]

Dimentia is strange; they're alert one time and forgetful the next. There is very seldom any short term memory. They're sharp one minute, confused the next.

We just had a new furnace and air conditioner installed. Dad would ask repeatedly why the workmen were there, sometimes two minutes after asking it before.

But, his long term memory works like a librarian's.

People with this problem should not drive a car/truck/train, etc.. They will forget what they are doing while on the freeway. Not good.

[Kackikat]

My mother-in-law suffered about 10 yrs with Alzheimers, and I was glad for the training I had in college about it.
It is like any long term illness that starts with them acting normal some of the time, and forgetting more and more. The normal things become impossible for them to do, and usually they go to a nursing home in last stages. In the early stages they become not only forgetful but combative, and getting them to bathe or care for themselves is difficult as they are confused as to what is going on. They forget to eat and you have to remind them to take every bite. They can’t live alone, and eventually need 24 hr skilled care, unless you are a nurse or have the patience of Job. They are otherwise usually healthy and do not suffer the colds and small illnesses we have on a regular basis. They are called “sundowners”, and stay awake all night and sleep some in the daytime. They seem reversed at times, and they regress slowly forgetting important people’s names and who they are, until they die.

Let me say this, an aging parent or Alzheimer’s patient will be an extreme in this illness of who they have always been, but without their mind intact. It hurts the family that they are not known, but it is important to keep visiting and reminding them you love them. The familiarity of that face coming is needed, even if they have forgotten. Help to feed them, when they can’t remember to eat, because the CNA’s are too busy to always do that. Hope this helps someone who will face this with a family member someday.