Hurricaine Katrina victim - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

ceedee · 09-06-2005, 10:01 PM

We live in south Mississippi and have survived the hurricaine.

My husband has AD and I have seen a significant downward spiral in his condition just since last week. We did not evacuate (dumb decision) and we had no electricity or phone service for a week. It was quite an experience for me (a born Yankee). Now we do at last.

It has been a long week. We were here during the storm watching trees falling all around us yet he wonders what did such damage. He gets mad because nothing has been done yet when he is the one who would normally do it. He kept asking why the lights and TV don't work. I thought I was going to go mad!

Over the weekend we went to my daughter's home 150 miles NW of here for a little relief from the heat since she has electricity and he was even worse. Shortly after getting there he wanted to go home. Because of the gas shortage we could not. He drove us all nuts! Then he started getting mad and threatening, wanting the keys to the car. I had to hide the car down the street and tell him we came with someone else. He would go and just sit in my daughter's car with all the doors open. We finally left Monday afternoon and he kept insisting on driving, which I wouldn't allow. He got very agitated and angry and I finally made him go in my daughter's car with her.

When we watched all the coverage on TV he kept saying "Where did this happen?" and " When did this happen?"

He is definitely more confused. He even asked me where his wife was (me)and why she didn't leave a note like she usually does. I wonder if he will get any better when everything is back to normal.

It was a long week made longer with an AD patient.

Martha H · 09-07-2005, 05:11 AM

Dear Ceedee,

I am glad you survived the disaster. Of course ANY change in routine throws an Alzheimer patient off even more. I am not sure if he will ever get back to the previous stage. As for the car, congratulations for not allowing him to drive. You did the right thing.

I hope you soon have power back on and conditions improve for you.

Love,

Martha

angel_bear · 09-07-2005, 06:05 AM

He's suffering shock, and that's enhanced by the Alzheimers. I don't have a solution other than to make him feel safe and to keep distractions to a minimum, which, I daresay would be a bit hard under the circumstances.

My hat goes off to you for surviving such a terrible disaster .... I can't do much all the way over here in Australia, but my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Cheers
Sally

Beginning · 09-07-2005, 06:12 AM

Ceedee -- I'm sorry to hear that your husband's condition is worse now. Martha H is sure right about any change in routine causing problems. I've discovered that even the good changes in routine from a family vacation (when I do everything) is enough to cause a drop in my husband's abilities. About a month after we returned from vacation, my husband settled down again and was able to function ok, although at a lower level than before. I don't know if it was just one of those infamous Alzheimer's quick steps down from a plateau, but since it coincided with our family vacation I've warned the kids that we'll have a vacation at home next year!

You're under extra stress too, so take care of yourself as a priority. It must be difficult with all of the ramifications from the hurricane, but you need to make sure that you're healthy so that you can be there for your husband & family. Just keep telling yourself that in 6 months this will (hopefully) be a bad memory but maybe a good story for the grandkids... thinking of you

BarbaraH · 09-07-2005, 09:47 AM

Hi Ceedee,

Bless your heart! What an awful situation to be in and how distressing that your dear husband's condition and orientation are worse. It is sadly common that AD patients become agitated when out of their normal setting. My little mother had it and became really argumentative and fussy in the Dallas/FtWorth airport, just to name one example.

My only suggestion is to play along with your DH as far as is safe. You can write a note from yourself to him telling him you love him, everything is fine, and you'll be back soon. When he asks about you and why didn't you leave a note, give him that note. There is no use debating the fact that you ARE his wife. Be reassuring and try to be patient. All of us here know how heartbreaking and trying it is.

My mother mentally youthened, forgetting I was an adult, forgetting she had a daughter at all, deciding the middle aged man in the picture couldn't be my Dad because "He's too old to be Shep", and finally asking if her mother knew where she was. I just continued to call her Mom and she didn't mind.

As much as is possible in the chaos, keep him where he's comfortable and feels safe. Is there a family home further north where he'd be settled?

My DH grew up in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, loves the coast and New Orleans, so our hearts and prayers have been with you from the start.

Glad you found us! Here you can say anything and we'll understand.

Blessings - Barbara