My wife has mild dementia now. What can i expect as to progression/ year when I will need some home care assistance? (I am 88-she is 86)

There are different types of diseases that cause dementia, but it sounds like they diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s. I’m no expert, so, discussing this with her doctor is good, however, based on what I have observed, some people progress much faster than others. What I would keep in mind is things can happen fast. I’d have plans lined up for care. Also, read a lot about what to expect. The care is very demanding, even for 3 shifts of able bodied people. I’d not resist if family and friends suggest outside help coming in or placement in a facility. I’d be prepared for her to say that she doesn’t need any help and prepare to get it anyway. Her judgment will eventually fail.

went to website you suggested and found in fo i was looking for.thanks again

Lealonnie and Alva,

Is ALZ like Parkinson’s disease? Is it harder to treat in some people? You know, where everyone has an individual situation and reacts to drugs individually. For instance. not everyone gets the side effects of drugs but for some they are super sensitive to meds, making the situation harder to treat.

Is it like Parkinson’s disease where if diagnosed at a younger age the disease progresses more rapidly. If Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed at an older age it progresses much slower.

My mom’s neurologist told us because she was diagnosed later rather than younger her disease moved at a much slower pace. Michael J. Fox was young and it rapidly progressed.

Progression varies; your MD is the best one to guess at, or give you some idea, or tell you that NO ONE has any idea. You are both up in years. Is there a way that you can now begin to make yourselves safe? Are there family members in your area. Have you taken care of "business" and made our wills, and DPOA so that someone can step in. The real concern here is what I am facing with my own partner. We are both well and able at 78 and 80 this year respectively. But that cannot last and that's a fact. Were one of us to become mentally unclear and the other face something instant and catastrophic, where would the mentally disabled one be? So try to line up what ducks you are able now. Make it so that family or a fiduciary can take over.
It may be time to think of Assisted Living or Independent Living if you at all have the funds for this.
Wishing you so much luck; I know it would be easier to have an answer to "how long" but I fear there is not such an answer to these diagnoses.

My mother was diagnosed in 2016 with progressive dementia, but she was exhibiting memory issues & other signs as early as 2014. In June of 2019, she was placed into Memory Care Assisted Living when she became too much to handle in regular Assisted Living. Truthfully, she probably could have waited another 6 months and been fine in Assisted Living.

Here is a link to an excellent website which provides a timeline for the stages of dementia & what you may expect. Remember, though, that everyone is different. What I have found with my mother is that each phase of her disease lasts for quite a while before she takes a step down.

https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/aboutdementia/facts/stages/

Wishing you the best of luck