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My beloved husband has early stage dementia. He is happy and has good self care skills. He is aware of his decline in executive function. His perceptual and motor skills are weakening, and he drops and breaks things. This is not Alzheimers, it is secondary to remote brain surgery with encephalomalacia. Overall his memory is OK, he is learning a new language, and his health is stable on medication.


I need to travel in a few months and will be away for 10 days. I have a son who is close with him, who will check with him daily. Hubby can also follow written instructions. I would appreciate any recommendations for things that I should do in advance, to make sure that I don't forget anything.


He really doesn't want or need anyone to stay with him and this will be the last time I leave him, but I want to do everything to ensure that he will be successful. (He doesn't have use of a car, and can take public transportation as needed.)

He would insist that he is OK and I believe that he will be. I just want to make sure that I don’t forget to leave him instructions that are detailed enough for him to be successful taking care of our apartment, our cats and himself. For example, he will leave the dishes in the sink for days if I don’t leave instructions, saying he must clean and put them away every night.
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Reply to DrBenshir
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I personally am no longer comfortable with leaving days at a time or even overnight, and my partner, at 84 is perfectly well. My own discomfort came about due to his having a massive stroke on Oct. 24th that would have resulted in nursing home had he not be got into Stoke Center via ambulance within minutes, and clot busters on board within an hour. That resulted in the breakup of the clot at once and going from no left side, aphasic and dysphasic to perfect. As RN never saw such a turnaround.
So basically, I am not going anywhere for the duration.

That's me.
But for you it sounds as though husband is honestly perfectly functional.
What does HE say about being alone?
Why do you question his ability to be alone? What have you seen him do or be unable to do that is making to feel uncomfortable?

You have the son visiting.
I would myself now have camera installed. Had Gene Hackman had such a thing monitored by cell phone by one of his children he would have know what was happening. Saw in a bedroom where he sleeps, so that you know he is safely in bed for the night or not, and whether he needs checking or not.

Personal opinion.
Does he take meds?
Can he do so safely.

Quite honestly you know your husband and his daily activities much better than a forum of strangers who never met the guy. I am more comfortable with YOUR opinion than mine, or the opinion of others.
Good luck.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Hire a temporary caregiver/companion to stay at your home for the ten days. You can go through a homecare agency or hire someone privately through a caregiver website like care.com

You probably shouldn't leave your husband home alone for the time you're going to be away.

Would it be possible for him to stay with family or a friend for ten days?
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Reply to BurntCaregiver
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