should i be worried?

bluebird

My husband is forgetting silly little things lately and i'm worried as to why.

He forgets to turn off the bathroom taps, he's done this for more than a couple of times, again last night he left the hot tap on its becoming that i have to check after he has used the bathroom, i don't want the house flooded.

The other day he went to the bottom of the garden to leave some currants for the blackbirds and left his keys down there.

We spent over 30 minutes with a friend a couple of weeks ago searching for his keys only to find he put them away in the bag with his garmin.his keys are the main item he forgets where he left them.

should i be worried or is this a man thing?

thegirlintheattic

How old is he?

I would gently suggest he mentions it to his GP and gets it checked out.

My late grandfather started forgetting little things and it became a family joke until one day he turned around to my father and asked who he was! He had been trying to compensate and so we hadn't really noticed till the dementia/altziemers had become really bad.

If they catch it early there are treatments that can slow the progress of the disease and also lets you both plan ahead for the future.

Chances are you'll go to the GP and there is nothing wrong anyway.

bluebird

My husband is only 54 but i am worried about this, he never used to forget things and now its happening several times a week.

I will get him to the GP just in case.

rachel90

bluebird wrote: »

My husband is only 54 but i am worried about this, he never used to forget things and now its happening several times a week.

I will get him to the GP just in case.

My mum works with people with dementia and there are some people that are younger than 54 with it. Fingers crossed for you that it isn't that but get him to a GP anyway. It may just be that he's under a lot of stress?
Whatever it is, hopefully it gets seen to early enough and you both gets the correct help, support and advice xx

McKneff

My brother was diagnosed with dementia at around 50, it was very aggressive and he was dead by 52, it is no respecter of age.

What does he say about it, have you spoken to him.

bluebird

McKneff wrote: »

My brother was diagnosed with dementia at around 50, it was very aggressive and he was dead by 52, it is no respecter of age.

What does he say about it, have you spoken to him.

oh gosh yes i've mentioned it everytime he does forget something,he just brushes it off in a joke way,i've even said it is worrying me but he doesnt appear concerned.I am very worried its serious but he's taking it like a pinch of salt.

fluffnutter

Forgetting things is far more likely to be a sign of a lack of concentration than anything else. Is he particularly busy at work? Is he stressed? Has he been unwell? All of these things can make him vaguer than usual.

Alzheimer's and other degenerative conditions produce really quite specific memory problems, e.g. finding yourself suddenly lost in a familiar place, struggling to recall the name of a close family member, repeating the same conversation a number of times a day, becoming unable to follow a plot of a film, feeling confused and anxious because things don't 'feel right'.

But if this concerns you, a trip to the GP should be all that's needed to set your mind at rest.

fluffnutter

bluebird wrote: »

oh gosh yes i've mentioned it everytime he does forget something,he just brushes it off in a joke way,i've even said it is worrying me but he doesnt appear concerned.I am very worried its serious but he's taking it like a pinch of salt.

TBH, if this was something more sinister, he'd be feeling upset and confused. It's a bit of a fallacy that people go doolally without realising. Not in the least; it's incredibly distressing.

bluebird

Thank you Fluffnutter you've helped me put this into perspective,He never used to be like this so this change in his forgetfulness is concerning.

Healthwise he's due an OP this week coming,Nothing major.Work is good according to him.
stress could be it as his mum is aged and had another stroke maybe a little of this and a bit of that has put stress on him.

Artytarty

My OH goes a bit like this at times when he is stressed about his job. Maybe he is worrying about something? It affects your concentration.

Mojisola

fluffnutter wrote: »

Alzheimer's and other degenerative conditions produce really quite specific memory problems, e.g. finding yourself suddenly lost in a familiar place, struggling to recall the name of a close family member, repeating the same conversation a number of times a day, becoming unable to follow a plot of a film, feeling confused and anxious because things don't 'feel right'.

fluffnutter wrote: »

TBH, if this was something more sinister, he'd be feeling upset and confused. It's a bit of a fallacy that people go doolally without realising. Not in the least; it's incredibly distressing.

I've got to disagree with both these posts. There are lots of different kinds of dementia. My Mum's dementia started with forgetting where things were - we used to spend hours trying to find stuff she'd lost. She's progressed to being incapable of living alone but she is totally unaware of this. She will tell people about the shopping she has done, the meals she's prepared, the places she's visited when she hasn't done any of those things for years.

She does now repeat herself a lot but you have to be with her for a while to realise this.

Do go to the GP for a general check-up. Other things can cause these symptoms. If nothing else is wrong, ask for a referral to the Memory Clinic (or whatever the relevant clinic is called in your area). Be prepared for the GPs to go down the route of "Oh, we all forget things sometimes", etc.

Most people with dementia go for a couple of years from the time their family think there is something wrong to getting a diagnosis. Family members are much more aware of changes than a GP who sees someone for 10 minutes at a time. There is medication which can slow down the deterioration but the earlier this is started, the better.