Welcome John, Yes, I felt exactly like that when caring for my mum. And the life I had pre mum's diagnosis was over, at least temporarily. I too took the happy pills from the doctor. And at first I felt 10 times worse; however, gradually they did enable me to cope, as did venting on this Forum (I di...

Paul, Frustrating as this might be, even an MRI scan is not conclusive - that will show evidence of vascular dementia, not necessarily Alzheimers. To be honest, whatever the diagnosis / label you put on it, dad's behaviour does not sound as if it will change. All you can do is what you are doing, pu...

Hi TP, Unfortunately any local council will not fund all night care. If you do not have the money to pay for private care, it is almost impossible. Have you thought about speaking to your mother's GP to see what they might offer - I am thinking of a harmless sleeping tablet which might provide you w...

Hi Ontheverge, And Welcome to the Forum. You are most definitely a carer; it takes most of us a long time to realise it, as we just do what we have to do. As for some of your questions, where to find help in Yorkshire depends exactly on what you are looking for. Social Services should be able to poi...

I am so very sorry to hear this, Pet. He is at peace now and you were a wonderful wife to him, dedicated to the end. You could have done no more.

Hope your family are a comfort to you. Thinking of you all,
Anne x

Hi Jack, I don't live too far away from Dagenham and am aware of the lack of support in general .... It may be worth asking these people for advice though: https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/services-for-people-with-disabilities Also, I see the DADB vans in Dagenham quite a bit. Could pick their brains too: ht...

Linda, my mum always voted even when she had dementia. Funnily enough, she always remembered her political views! I agree with Melly unless your mother has been officially declared by medical professionals as having no capacity, not the same as dementia, you are doing no harm. I would agree that she...

Definitely, I used to take notes in a notebook at the front. At the back I kept all the contact numbers. Very helpful when you can quote a conversation back from three weeks ago. Also, use a wipe off noteboard for caree's reminders (or for notes you want to leave for other people coming in), togethe...

That sounds dreadful, Diane. What a situation to be in. Above all else, you need to stand firm. You cannot and will not be available should they refuse to fund mum's care home. Smart technology is not a substitute for human care. Yes, you should have a copy of the Carers Assessment. If they refuse t...

Hi Alice,

I have flagged your post for a staff member to respond.

Sorry that you have not found the Forum useful. But do feel free to try again. It does take a while to get used to "chatting" to strangers ..

Take care,
Anne