Alzheimer's/care home

goodmorningsunshine

margaretclare wrote: »

With hindsight, MIL had this - or some form of dementia - back in the mid-to-late 1970s. No one ever put a name to it at the time. During a hospital admission for something completely unrelated, she couldn't find her way around, forgot where her bed was etc. As they do when removed to a strange environment! The Medical Social Worker on the ward wanted to talk to me. I pointed out that it was my MIL and not my own mother. 'Oh yes, dear, but it's always the woman who has to cope, isn't it?' That pointed out what was expected of me. I'd only just started a full-time degree course as a mature student, had been paid a grant and so I had to point out that I was unable to take on her full-time care. By then she didn't even know who I was. But the MSW really thought I should go away and be the devoted DIL and forget about higher education. Not going to happen.

Thank you for sharing your experience - this was the point I was trying to make earlier.


In medical terms /diagnosis - this really is a recent illness, but information and public awareness has came on leaps and bounds in such a short space of time.

Mojisola

goodmorningsunshine wrote: »

In medical terms /diagnosis - this really is a recent illness, but information and public awareness has came on leaps and bounds in such a short space of time.

"Dementia" or "Senile Dementia" was certainly diagnosed during Victorian times - you can see that from hospital admission records and from death certificates.

goodmorningsunshine

Mojisola wrote: »

"Dementia" or "Senile Dementia" was certainly diagnosed during Victorian times - you can see that from hospital admission records and from death certificates.

During Victorian times - have you seen "Alzheimers" on hospital admission records and on death certificates?

Many people use the words “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s disease” interchangeably. However, they’re not the same thing. You can have a form of dementia that is completely unrelated to Alzheimer’s disease.


The above quote was taken from "healthline"

Mojisola

There are many kinds of dementia - Alzheimers is only one type.

HB58

When I was training, back in the 70's, Alzheimers was referred to as 'pre-senile dementia', therefore the diagnosis was given to younger people. It is only more recently that the name has come to mean a form of 'senile dementia'.

margaretclare

http://www.alz.org/research/science/major_milestones_in_alzheimers.asp

This is interesting.

In addition, I've seen a lot of family death certificates from a century ago with COD as 'senility' but none with 'dementia'.

Errata

I think the term Alzheimer's Disease is quite widely used nowadays by many people as they may feel it sounds kinder than Dementia. My understanding is that Alzheimers can only be discovered at autopsy.

Mojisola

Errata wrote: »

I think the term Alzheimer's Disease is quite widely used nowadays by many people as they may feel it sounds kinder than Dementia. My understanding is that Alzheimers can only be discovered at autopsy.

That's what Mum's consultant told us.

poppy10_2

Errata wrote: »

I think the term Alzheimer's Disease is quite widely used nowadays by many people as they may feel it sounds kinder than Dementia.

Alzheimer's disease isn't used as a euphemism for dementia by doctors.

Dementia is a syndrome (i.e. a collection of symptoms - memory loss, language difficulties, personality change etc). Those symptoms can be caused by a number of diseases.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common. Other causes include strokes (vascular dementia) and Parkinson's/Lewy body disease.

Errata wrote: »

My understanding is that Alzheimers can only be discovered at autopsy.

Not really true. It can only be definitively confirmed on autopsy but its perfectly possible to make a valid and accurate clinical diagnosis based on examination and tests (CT/MRI scan) while someone is still alive.

margaretclare

Not really true. It can only be definitively confirmed on autopsy but its perfectly possible to make a valid and accurate clinical diagnosis based on examination and tests (CT/MRI scan) while someone is still alive.

I have heard of this diagnosis being made while people were still alive, for example: the late Sir Terry Pratchett. He certainly knew about it and was able to talk about it.