Members y-o-y Posted February 1, 2009 Members Share Posted February 1, 2009 Last month, my dad, who is 64 was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), bordering on Dementia. MCI is characterized by lose of short term memory, while retaining executive functions (the ability to reason). He has been unable to maintain employment for the last several years likely due in part to his condition, and is essentially broke. No one in the family is in a position to support him financially and he is having a very difficult time coping with the fact that that he will never have an executive management type of job again. His doctor informed us that while MCI is not uncommon in the elderly, only 4% of people 64 years of age are diagnosed with this disorder. Additionally, MCI patients typically develop Dementia and are 3x more likely to develop Alzheimer's. He said we should be prepared to provide long-term care in 5 years or less I don't have any specific questions, but would be very interested in hearing from anyone that has dealt with a family member who has/had Alzheimer's or related diseases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkee1 Posted February 1, 2009 Members Share Posted February 1, 2009 I got nothin...........except your back! If you need to talk, or need anything else, don't hesitate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emprov Posted February 1, 2009 Members Share Posted February 1, 2009 Been dealing with it for the past three months with my dad. What's getting at him right now though is something called Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, a seldom diagnosed thing that sometimes piggy backs onto AD and other diseases but AD is definitely in the mix. Presently, we're trying to find some drugs that will allow him to come home, he's been in the hospital coming up on two weeks now and it's been a real roller coaster. If we can't find anything that works, we'll be putting him in long term care probably by the end of the week. I'm learning way more about this process than I ever hoped to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted February 2, 2009 Members Share Posted February 2, 2009 Talk to his Doc about Aricept to see if he thinks it's warranted. Was a miracle drug for our family, stopped early stage onset in it's tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members y-o-y Posted February 2, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 2, 2009 Talk to his Doc about Aricept to see if he thinks it's warranted. Was a miracle drug for our family, stopped early stage onset in it's tracks. Thanks. I know there is a significant debate in medical and research circles regarding the efficacy of Alzheimer's drugs on pre-Alzheimer's patients (i.e. Dementia and MCI), but every doctor I have talked to has said if they had a loved one with a condition that is known or beleived to lead to AD, they would have them on AD drugs, no question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emprov Posted February 2, 2009 Members Share Posted February 2, 2009 Thanks. I know there is a significant debate in medical and research circles regarding the efficacy of Alzheimer's drugs on pre-Alzheimer's patients (i.e. Dementia and MCI), but every doctor I have talked to has said if they had a loved one with a condition that is known or beleived to lead to AD, they would have them on AD drugs, no question. Not all drugs are going to work for everyone. Some drugs such as Haldol or Olazapine, are going to work wonderfully for some people, but not for others. My dad has spent the last week in a near vegetative state because of at least one of those two (I strongly suspect the Haldol but Olazapine has been known to do that as well). All of these drugs, including Aricept, have side effects that may or may not make them worth taking but I think that Aricept is the current rockstar in the group. The best way to slow down the progression of the disease is to keep his brain busy, exercising, monitoring his blood pressure, etc... I've recently read of an AD study that's recruiting currently that's focusing on the use of Resveratrol (the anti-oxident found in red grapes and pomegranates), if I think about it'll look for it and post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted February 2, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 I too have little to offer but support. Hopefully your doctors can help your dad slow and control this as much as possible. We're all here for you whenever you need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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