Early stages of dementia question.

[linzz]

My mother's husband is 69 years old. I think that he is in the early stages of dementia and has been for at least a year. Recently he has become quite paranoid which is a new thing, and this is directed at me ie. saying that I don't like him. I don't know why because we have had a decent relationship. Could he be trying to hide his condition and afraid that I will notice his slip ups? I am very concerned as my mother is not ready to accept that this is happening. I would like to help her because I do notice that she seems very strained and tired these days but I don't want to force her to accept this.

[marjoriemac, LPN]

My gran has recently been diagnosed with vascular dementia after a year in hospital with ?Alzheimers? and before that a year at home where I knew she had dementia and was unsafe to live alone but could not convince her GP of this (he would not even come out to see her!). My gran new she was forgetting things but didnt know why, in just 2 years, she has gone from a few errors in what she is saying to not recognising her family and speaking nonsense. My gran was very paranoid at home, believing 'someone' was coming to throw her out her house. She was eventually picked up by the police at 3am one morning in the street she lived in as a child, she was wondering with no handbag or identity as she had been 'thrown out her house'. Never too soon to get help.

[linzz]

Yes marjoriemac, I know just what you mean. I am afraid that this is how it will go for my family too.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Outside of familiar surroundings, people with early dementia seem to get worse. Observe how he acts at home versus somewhere less familiar to him