Some of you will know that my dad has been suffering with vascular dementia for some years.
The sad news is that he died last Monday evening. We are all grieving but also relieved that his suffering is finally over. My mum cared for him at home right until the end and was with him when he passed peacefully.
He first showed signs of illness in 2007, when he had stopped being able to read and also gave up driving. The diagnosis didn't come until 2008, by which time a great deal of speech had already gone and he was showing the anger and frustration that comes with losing control of your body. Slowly over the years more and more functions went and it has been so hard to watch him lose his abilities. His frailty increased over the last three years and in September he finally became bedridden.
We have had a long time to prepare for this, so many things were already in place but it has been a good part of the grieving process to be able to be with my mum through the last week sorting out the arrangements. The funeral is tomorrow.
There are over 150 different types of dementia and there is still much to be learnt about the causes and preventions. We decided that we wanted his brain to be donated to Brains for Dementia Research in the hope that his suffering may lead to some benefit to others in future. http://www.brainsfordementiaresearch.org.uk/
The sad news is that he died last Monday evening. We are all grieving but also relieved that his suffering is finally over. My mum cared for him at home right until the end and was with him when he passed peacefully.
He first showed signs of illness in 2007, when he had stopped being able to read and also gave up driving. The diagnosis didn't come until 2008, by which time a great deal of speech had already gone and he was showing the anger and frustration that comes with losing control of your body. Slowly over the years more and more functions went and it has been so hard to watch him lose his abilities. His frailty increased over the last three years and in September he finally became bedridden.
We have had a long time to prepare for this, so many things were already in place but it has been a good part of the grieving process to be able to be with my mum through the last week sorting out the arrangements. The funeral is tomorrow.
There are over 150 different types of dementia and there is still much to be learnt about the causes and preventions. We decided that we wanted his brain to be donated to Brains for Dementia Research in the hope that his suffering may lead to some benefit to others in future. http://www.brainsfordementiaresearch.org.uk/
sorry to hear the sad news
