caregiver negligence as a sign of dementia

9/24/03

Your wheel chair bound, aphasic wife sits alone in the house, watching TV, as she has done every day, since the stroke in early 2001.
But its getting dark outside, and you haven't been back to the house in many hours.
There has been no dinner for either of you.
There has been no opportunity for a trip to the bathroom for her.


One week ago, while visiting her oncologist, you became confused and were noted to have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

She is worried about you.  Its 8 PM, its dark outside, and you should be back in the house by now.

She calls 911.  I can just hear her stuttering speech as she would try to reach out for help.

The paramedics find you mowing the ditch in the dark.

You can't understand why anyone would be concerned, but you return to the  house.

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15 minutes later when I call back I find out that you are on the other phone line  in the back of the house, talking to a mystery man (another one of your get rich quick associates, I am sure).

When I confront you on who you are talking to, you say "Is this an inquisition?" and you hang up on me.

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The very first notice of dementia

I was suddenly remembering what I thought was the very first notice we had of your need for assisted living.  I was looking through my notes trying to find the record with the first recommendation. I think it was 2003, and it followed a hospitalization for encephalopathy related to untreated diabetes.

However, instead, I found other notes that I had written in 2003, which reminded me of other pieces of evidence, long forgotten, but now linking together the trail we have been winding over the years:
failed payments on utilities, resulting in late fees and threats to turn off electricity
lost insurance due to failure to pay ; this followed by decision to cancel insurance (a poor choice)
speeding ticket
running out of gas (frequently)
trading options on the stock market ; trading currency (could there possibly be a more fiscally dangerous hobby for a dementing person?)
suboptimal care of your physically ill and vulnerable wife (for whom you were  primary caregiver at the request of both parties)
http://seniorfraud.blogspot.com/2015/02/its-breast-cancer.html
Medication mismanagement
http://seniorfraud.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-day-i-lost-it.html
excessive purchase/ use of over the counter food supplements
lies about large financial purchase/ losses on the one hand, while nit picking over a penny saved on food, gas, phone service
failure to file income tax

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 At the time of the very first recommendation that you should have assisted living, YOU were functioning as a care -giver for your wife, who was wheelchair bound from a stroke, and suffering from cancer.

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2003.
It was clearly coming in 2003.
Actually, I am sure it was clearly coming in 2001, and I don't know what  I don't know from before 2001, because I lived in another world,  and I didn't take care of you then like I take care of you now.
And you didn't call me and tell me things.

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Back then I called it magical thinking