Hello my name is Michael and I need help with programs in Michigan. I just "inherited Mom and have no idea where to start except the local association and all the really did was say follow the doctors advise and gave me this website...any suggestions. Mom is doing real well and is moving here from out of state. Lives alone with little help but I have heard the horror stories of what to expect.

Michael, hi, and welcome to the forum.

First off: We have a bunch of different forums here. This one is specifically for talking about medications/treatments (supplements, diet, things like that.)

We have another, much bigger and more active forum, for Caregivers. The list of all the forums is at:

http://alzheimers.infopop.cc/eve/forums

Click on the Caregivers Forum and start a new thread there, for any questions/concerns you may have on caregiving, financial matters, legal matters, and etc.

Since you just "inherited" your mom, you may find the First Steps article helpful:

http://alzheimers.boomja.com/C...rst-Steps-61311.html

Also, Jennifer Ghent-Fuller's article, "Understanding the Dementia Experience":

http://alzheimers.boomja.com/A...xperience-59731.html

And Coach Broyle's Playbook:

http://www.alzheimersplaybook.com/

The link for the free .pdf is in the upper right-hand corner of the page


"Anosognosia" is a symptom many ADLOs develop, which makes them unaware that they have problems ... and therefore think that they don't need any help:

http://alzheimers.boomja.com/A...osognosia-32271.html


Also, some of the local Alz Assoc chapters are small, and don't have much expertise. Call the 24/7 help line, run by the national headquarters, listed at the top of every page here -- I'm sure they can give you more info.

Some of our ADLOs (AD loved ones) do have very rough journeys. For others, the journey is not as hard. Hopefully, you and your mom will be among the lucky ones. When you're reading posts on these forums, keep in mind that the loved ones of our members may have other dementias -- frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, etc. The symptoms that develop, and the stage at which they develop, can be very different from those for AD itself.