Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

Thanks for the dementia advice, HH and badmemory:T:A

Had a good night's sleep, was more tired than I realised. No phone calls from my friend during the night:j I'm always up by 6 so it's not unusual for me to be up and about and on here at this hour.

Just to add to the dementia topic, there have been various disturbing events recently to have worried my friend about her brother. On 2 separate occasions he started cooking something, completely forgot about it and did considerable smoke/fire damage to his kitchen because he'd left the house. The Fire Brigade were involved on one occasion, there was smoke and water damage to several rooms as a result. On another occasion he started running a bath and forgot about it, even left the house and walked to the local shop for something. Luckily he lives in a bungalow and the flood didn't bring any ceilings down but it did cause a massive amount of damage. His insurance premiums now are huge:eek:


My friend said there were other things he's done but she didn't have the time to tell me everything the last time I saw her, she's got too much else to think about. I know she feels safest while her brother is at the hospital with her rather than him being on his own at her lovely home:eek:. She's worried sick about him driving but he seems to go onto automatic pilot and seems perfectly competent although he's never enjoyed driving and doesn't feel confident in lots of traffic. I think it was him who insisted on coming to be with her when she phoned him about her husband's condition. She wouldn't have asked him to drive all that way on his own.


Strangely, almost like clicking a switch he becomes perfectly normal and his confusion lifts, such as when he drove to the hospital although I don't think that went according to plan. Apparently he must have got lost en route, it took him a great deal longer than it normally would have even at the speed he drives at. He said he'd only stopped once for a toilet break and to buy petrol for about 10 minutes so goodness knows which way he came:eek:.


It was the next-door-neighbour's concerns that raised the subject again. He asked my friend if her brother was 'all right' as he'd been very vague, panicky, unable to grasp what the neighbour was trying to tell him and asking the same obvious questions over and over even though they'd just been patiently answered by the neighbour. Like you, the neighbour thought it was stress and tiredness that had caused it, he didn't know the brother so had no idea how usual his behaviour was, but felt it extreme enough to mention it to my friend.


Anxious days for my friend in every way:(. I'd do anything to help her but don't know how:o. OH tells me not to interfere, just to be there for her whenever/however she needs me. I know he's right but I still feel I'm not doing enough


Sorry to clutter up your diary, HH, especially when you have such worries of your own:o. Have a lovely day:beer: