My dad was diagnosed with Stage 1 Alzheimer's last month. And the other day I talked to him on the phone and he didn't know who I was, so I told him who I was. And u asked him the day and he was unaware of it. Then he told me about a fight (mind u never happened) he has fallen twice. Legs ankles and hands are swelling. Memory loss. Talking about my grandmother who has passed away. He is agitated. Please and thank you.
One set of stages has only three stages - early, mid and late. In that group, your father could be considered stage 1, early. The other has seven stages. In this group your father would be in stage 3, mild decline.
Check these websites for the details on each of the two different groups.
http://www.alzheimers.net and http://www.alz.org/
I use the seven stage behavior descriptions to help our caregivers and health care providers to know which behaviors my husband is presenting.
Focus on the behavior and solutions to help your father transition into that behavior.
To help your father identify you when you call on the phone there are a few options.
1) Have a recent and childhood photo (best if your father is in the photo). Put the photos near the phone. Put your name on a label for the photos. May be even a brief story. "Dad and I riding our bikes in 19xx along the lakefront". If the story connects with your father use it every time you talk with him.
2) Consider using a live stream video phone session (like Skype) so your father could see you while he is talking with you. This technology would require a computer, internet and someone at your father's location to assist with the call set up.
There is no form of dementia that is easier than another. They all take their toll on both patient and family. I also agree you should have him check for Congestive Heart Failure, it causes swelling. Please let us know how you and dad are doing. If he has not responded to your calls please call 911 .
Unlike those over 65, he does not have Medicare so facility has no available way to bill for medical providers initially till he gets approved for Medicaid, the facility may require a hefty deposit to admit.
If you find roadblock after roadblock in getting him into a facility, he is going to need to get admitted to a hospital and then you make social work at the hospital find a placement in a facility for him....you refuse to pick him up so they have to find a place on order for him to be discharged. Good luck in all this.
There are some great information on this thread, but if I may offer a little different take on the swelling matter. Maybe someone else can chime in too. I have seen at least 6 people that I know personally, one including myself, who has seen a doctor about swelling of the hands and/or feet. They call it edema. I have Type I diabetes, but the edema was not considered a medical issue of concern. I complained about it to my GP and 2 separate Endocrinologist and none of them thought it was serious and not even worth treating. Two of these are top in their field. An senior that I know was told my her doctor that edema was not a medical problem. He sent her home. I know others who were given fluid pills, which I was eventually, or given nothing and told it wasn't a problem. These doctors are not quacks and some work out very prestigious medical schools. So, I guess sometimes the edema can be a warning sign and other times it might not.
It is water on the brain that can press on the brain in a way to mimic dementia symptoms, but then when the water is drained, the dementia is relieved. There have been some posts regarding it on this site. I had never heard of it before reading about it here.
Alzheimer's gets more attention because it has such a huge research company behind it. Just like breast cancer, yet there are many, many kinds of cancer.
Lewy Body does not generally involve wandering. Alzheimer's does. Maybe Alzheimer's is worse.
Lewy Body often includes hallucinations and delusions very early in the disease. In Alzheimer's they tend to occur much later, if at all. Maybe Lewy Body is worse.
Each kind of dementia has its own set of symptoms and behaviors. It is not possible to lay them out on a scale from bad to worst.
It also entirely possible to have more than one kind of dementia.
We don't get choices. It is what it is, and we deal with the symptoms our loved ones have.
My husband died of Lewy Body Dementia. I was glad he didn't wander. I was glad he didn't forget people even at the very end. Was I glad he had LBD instead of ALZ? Nope. Neither is "better" to have.
Dad most likely has dementia, and it is more likely to be Lewy Body than Alzheimer's, but the critical thing to focus on here is that no matter what the diagnosis is, he cannot safely live on his own, according to a doctor who has seen him recently. Don't wait to finish the Medicaid application. Many nursing homes accept residents "Medicaid pending" and once he is there they can address whatever his symptoms are.
I really think getting him somewhere safe where he can be looked after needs to come first. Can you ask the free clinic that he goes to if they have a social worker who can give you some assistance? Even just getting suggestions on suitable places to consider will help.
Your dad may be just fine in a nursing home. It would be nice if you can find one that also has a memory care unit, in case he needs that later, but don't delay his placement if that is not available.
Keep us posted on what is going on. You'll get through this, and we'd like to cheer you on.
But with diabetes, you have another level of potential complication.
Follow TxCamper's advice and have your Dad sign a HIPAA authorization so the clinic staff can give you information on his health. You might also try to get his medical records from prison so that you can bring them to clinics in the future - it will help them to know what his medical history has been.
Is he taking medicine for the high blood pressure and the high cholesterol? Is he on any kind of diabetic friendly diet? Who is his medical POA? If it is you, you may want to go with him to the clinic and talk to the doctor. Dad will have to sign a HIPAA form saying it is okay to talk to you. See if you can get him to drink more fluids (not beer or cokes, they don't count), elevate his legs when he's sitting, lay off the processed foods for a while (lunch meat, hot dogs) and cut way down on using salt at the table. A little exercise never hurt anyone either, if he'll take a walk or even lift his legs off the recliner every once in a while. Good luck!