Dementia is a love story tinged with tragedy ,we as a society can help lesson the tragedy in small ways and allow more time for love and care

Good Morning

Sitting alone at home as we always do and have done for most of this journey since my mum was diagnosed with Vascular dementia, I cant shake of the frustration that always comes each time dementia brings dramatic changes to my mums awareness, health and abilities .We as has happened many time before woke up one morning 7 or 8 weeks ago and everything had changed again, since that day my mum has been unable to stand up or walk more than 3 steps without my total support, along with more health and other issues and struggles. My mum can no longer attend her wee day group and that is sad, my mum has lost 100% of the social interaction she got from day group twice a week and I have lost 48% of the respite we had each week, we are now left with sitters for 14 hours a week .there is no like for like as health deteriorates and each time dementia bring a massive change to both of our lives it creates a process of trying to find the correct support and help The more this illness takes a grip of my mum the less options for help and understanding seem to be available I am grateful for the attention to detail the district nurses have shown helping get us the hospital bed and checking on my mum each week just now to help with some sores and so on ,but each time the change come with this illness ,we are left searching for answers to accommodate and keep my mum with the support both she and I really need. It got me thinking last night there is no real surprise to what Vascular dementia will bring over a period of time and how it will affect general the health and abilities of someone suffering from the illness an the family trying to cope each time a dip comes, so I ask why does it seem such a surprise to all involved in my mums care or to put it another way why do  I have to  explain ,convince ,fight or fill in so many forms and beg each time this illness does what it does, its no surprise to me anymore, just seems like it to everyone else .there is a simple answer map out the journey this illness will bring for families in advance and have the help made ready to assist families as soon as needed to allow them the chance to love and care for the person the love. Dementia is a love story tinged with tragedy ,we as a society can help lesson the tragedy in small ways and allow more time for love and care    

Tommy