• Home
  • Advertise With Us
  • Login

KC Our Health Matters

Black Men Speak: Health, Strength and Hope
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Awards & Events
    • Advertise With Us
  • Our Departments
    • Community
    • Cover Story
    • Food & Fitness
    • Online Articles
    • Health
    • Publisher’s Greeting
    • Videos
  • Digital Magazine
    • Digital Magazine
    • Caregivers Resource Guide
  • Subscription
  • Vaccination Update
    • COVID-19
  • Contact Us
You are at :Home»Health»Dementia Struck My Dad at a Young Age
Dementia Struck My Dad at a Young Age

Dementia Struck My Dad at a Young Age

Health

The person I knew is gone forever.

As told to Our Health Matters

Tim spoke to Our Health Matters candidly about how his father’s battle with dementia affected his family.

What was your father like before he got sick?

My dad was a very hard worker his whole life. When I was growing up, he always had a full-time job, was part-time National Guard, and went to school to get his master’s degree. He eventually retired from the National Guard as a major but continued to work for the US Army Corp of Engineers as a civilian. Dad was also very active with genealogy and historical groups, such as the Sons of Union Veterans and Sons of the Revolutionary War Veterans.

What tipped you off that he may not be well?

About 12 years ago, he started getting a little “quirky”. He would sing Civil War songs all the time and tell the same story over and over. Then, a few years later, he started telling inappropriate jokes at inappropriate times. He had never done that before.

When was he diagnosed? Did family have to impress on him to go to the doctor, or was he willing to get checked out?

x
Common signs and symptoms of frontotemporal dementia involve extreme changes in behavior and personality. These include:

  • Increasingly inappropriate actions Loss of empathy and other interpersonal skills
  • Lack of judgment and inhibition
  • Apathy
  • Repetitive compulsive behavior
  • A decline in personal hygiene
  • Changes in eating habits, predominantly overeating
  • Oral exploration and consumption of inedible objects
  • Lack of awareness of thinking or behavioral changes

 

His quirkiness started to affect his job. He had always excelled in reviews, but now he was on the verge of getting fired. At first, the doctors thought he was suffering from depression. Eventually, they did a brain scan that showed there were parts of his frontal lobe that were deteriorating. The diagnosis was frontotemporal dementia, one of the more aggressive forms of early onset dementia. His impulse control was impacted, so he ate constantly, which in turn, impacted his diabetes. He hung onto the memories he had by constantly repeating the stories he could remember. Eventually, the stories became less complex. He would lose the name for words or names of family.
Dad also became aggressive. I think he became frustrated because he could not communicate the way he wanted to. At times, he had to be physically restrained. That was hard.

…this is the continuation of Tim’s story…

How did his illness impact your family?

My mother was the primary caregiver. At first, she was in deep denial about his illness and put off a lot of decisions about his care. We often clashed with her approach and it negatively affected our relationship.

Dad eventually deteriorated to a point where my mom could not take care of him and he had to be placed in a nursing home.

How is your dad doing now?

He is completely non-verbal. My mom visits him occasionally, but I can’t. It is hard for me to see him in his current state. I have come to accept that the person I knew as my Dad has passed away. He is no longer there, in my opinion.

If you are a caregiver or family member impacted by dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, help is available. Visit the Alzheimer’s Association, at www.alz.org, to find a support group near you.

Source: The Mayo Clinic

2018-09-12
kcourhealthmatters
linkedin Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Stumble More
Previous Article :

Music Truly is the Soundtrack of Our Lives

Next Article :

Stopping Alzheimer’s… One Clinical Trial At a Time

Related Articles

Cost of Care in the United States

Cost of Care in the United States

kcourhealthmatters 20 Apr 2017
Income Inequality

Income Inequality

kcourhealthmatters 20 Apr 2017
Jobs, Education, and Training Support Healthier Lives

Jobs, Education, and Training Support Healthier Lives

kcourhealthmatters 20 Apr 2017

Vaccine Updates

Sheffield Place

Mother’s Refuge

Hope Haven of Cass County

Benilde Hall

Popular Articles

Who Cares for the Caregiver?
Health

Who Cares for the Caregiver?

kcourhealthmatters 10 Nov 2017
health matters
Cover Story

The Importance of Regular Eye Exams

kcourhealthmatters 12 Sep 2017
Achieving Goals
Health

Jobs, Education, and Training Support Healthier Lives

kcourhealthmatters 20 Apr 2017
Are Pilates Right for you
Food & Fitness

You’ve Heard of Pilates, But Is it Right for You?

kcourhealthmatters 05 Jul 2017
Five Ways to Make Getting Healthy a Family Affair
Health

Five Ways to Make Getting Healthy a Family Affair

kcourhealthmatters 05 Jul 2017
  • Community
  • Food & Fitness
  • Health
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

KC Our Health Matters
Since Our Health Matters™ launched in 2005, we have provided readers with insight into how to live healthier lives.

Recent Posts

  • Black Men Speak: Health, Strength and Hope

    Black Men Speak: Health, Strength and Hope

    18 Nov 2022
  • GET THE FACTS ABOUT LONG-TERM & SHORT-TERM SKILLED CARE

    GET THE FACTS ABOUT LONG-TERM & SHORT-TERM SKILLED CARE

    11 Oct 2022
  • Aging Changes Our Bones

    Aging Changes Our Bones

    11 Oct 2022

Subscribe Now

    Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved - KC Our Health Matters