Both of my parents live with me (going on 4 years). My dad has more progressed vascular dementia and my mom is at the very beginning stages of it. Right now my dad has a cold/allergies. He has been coughing for 48 hours. I did speak to his doctor who thinks it is allergies and prescribed an antihistamine for starters. My question is this: His cough is so loud and exaggerated. Every noise he makes is loud and exaggerated. It is as though he has lost his ability to modulate. The issue for me is that I don't have much patience with it and he is clearly sick. It is hard to be empathic because it seems larger than life. He never needed as much attention as he seems to need now. Any suggestions?
Hugs.
Sparkles
Roseismom
The night that he died I went in to feed him dinner. My mother was also hospitalized at the same time and had been discharged that day.They both had been diagnosed with RSV. When I went in to feed him he was calm and present and mentally clearer than he had been in a long time. He died a few hours later. I suspect that he was getting ready to go. I wish that I had realized that at the time but I am grateful to have spent those last hours with him.
This job of caregiving is so complicated and emotional.
He's also 80% deaf, but he's sneezed and coughed super loudly ever since I met him, so I know he's just being a tad dramatic.
And hubs always has a handkerchief. A gentleman, for sure. But nothing can muffle his amazing sneezing or coughing.
If you find you don't have the patience for this, and both your parents have earlier stages of dementia, you will need to start planning now on what to do regarding where your parents will live, as it is only going to get worse, and it won't be just coughing.
Right now is the tree pollen season. So keep the windows shut and turn on the air conditioning to help your Dad with his allergies. I remember having a cough 48 hours straight, it was horrible as I couldn't sleep. Even cough meds wouldn't help. Have Dad try hot tea with honey.