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My dad has dementia due to a TBI and I am his primary caregiver. His confusion comes in waves where some days are better than others. Sometimes he seems completely fine, then others he struggles to complete basic tasks like opening mail or making coffee because he gets confused and overwhelmed. Yesterday was rough.



My dad is visiting my sister next month on Oct 11th and will be flying with assistance from the airline. So that visit isn't for a while, but he is very excited and can't stop talking about how much he can't wait to see her.



So yesterday I was at work while my dad was at home. I was sitting in a meeting, then he starts sending me texts asking me to call him right now because he's "here" and wants to "know where to meet." That was followed by some texts about a car rental place and him repeating that he's "here" and "please call." I immediately started to panic because I thought he'd gotten today (9/11) mixed up with his travel date (10/11) and he had somehow gotten to airport while confused. So I rushed out of my meeting, which was very disruptive because I had to make my way through a crowded and quiet space while someone was speaking. Then I ran to my office and called him, and figured out he was indeed still at home and safe. Good. It turns out he was trying to text someone else and got confused about who he was texting and the conversation he was having, so his messages were a jumbled mess of autocorrect sent to the wrong person (me).



I couldn't go back to my meeting, and this is the first time my caregiving has interfered with my work like this. That makes me nervous for what is ahead.

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Yes it is very hard to work and take care of an aging person. My mom works from home and my GMA lives with us. And she keeps thinking that our house is hers and we can't tell her any different. We take her to her house every now and then but the last time she went she didn't even remember it(her house). But she constantly goes into my mom's office while she's working and sometimes she's quiet and just observes and other times like tonight she makes a ruckus. Funny thing is...we all had a great day today. We went out to eat and had a great time. When we came home that's when all hell broke loose. It's very frustrating because my mom missed 2 calls today because my grandma would NOT cooperate and leave the room OR be quiet. Behavior like that could get my mother fired. Feel free to drop any suggestions in my inbox.
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I recommend you let your employer know about your situation, so they don't think you are a flake! My boss is so understanding about the needs of my 94 y/o dad ( and my 2 special needs kids!), he always says "family first!".
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My step-father age 90 in poor health, in wheelchair, his wife 81, dementia in July flew from AZ to Fl, as we moved them here, we had a travel buddy fly with them, wasn't cheap, but it went well.
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My mom traveled a lot by herself in her early to mid-80s. Then once when flying home from FL to MN I waited and waited as all the plane passengers picked up their luggage, and no mom. She had fallen asleep at the gate and missed a change of departure gate announcement. On that same occasion I found out (the hard way) that the airlines would not release any information about her, as to whether she got onto the flight or not, due to privacy laws -- even though I was family, she was senior and was by herself. Her flip phone battery had died and she didn't bring a charger. I sweated it out until she finally called me from another phone. That was the last time I agreed for her to fly alone. There are too many opportunities for confusion and travel failures, plus I don't have confidence in the staff who are tasked with doing so many things. They won't have their eyes fully on your dad. Sorry, not sure it is worth the stress. My mom is happy to have someone with her, but she pays for the "companion" ticket, as should your dad if he is able. I have a Delta AmEx card which has a high membership fee but they give you a companion ticket for free every year which exceeds that amount. I've found this useful over the years. I hope this helps...I've not found any other solutions for this.
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Jesterly, does your dad live alone?

Past the earliest stages of dementia, it is probably not wise for a person to be left unsupervised.

I think that you would be wise to start planning for the next steps now.

Is there adult day care/senior center in your area? Have you toured facilities? Looked at dad's finances and figured out what his eligibility for assistance is?

Start by calling your local Area Agency on Aging; every county has one. You can request a "needs assessment" and start from there.

Welcome!
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