I have a story for you:

[PCIntern]

I normally don’t tell tales out of work but this one seems apropos given that theres a masquerade ball at 1600 PA Ave.

I have for many years treated a couple who is my age. When I met them 38 years ago they were truly the leftover hippies in a terrific way. They had great political sensibilities, were into music, lived a rather Bohemian life style -you get the picture. Believe it or not I was instrumental in steering him into a career in a certain field, and he became a fantastically successful businessman, yet retained all of his ethos as a thinking progressive.

Unfortunately, his wife began to deteriorate mentally at a rapid rate. He was and is the most attentive spouse I’ve ever seen: utterly devoted to his wife, her health and comfort despite her now extreme issues

The other day they came in for their routine visit and he confessed to me that there had been numerous occasions where she had attempted to hurt him dramatically and he was at a loss. I immediately procured numbers of professionals for him to call to immediately manage the situation. At first he was hesitant and then I said this to him: “Americans for too long have been accepting severe mental illness as part of the norm and are being figuratively and literally skewered as you will eventually be of her senile dementia is unchecked by you. You are living in a terribly dangerous situation which could easily prove fatal, possibly while you are asleep or resting in a chair. You may not realize that dementia causes these people to become incredibly violent: they hear the voices telling them to kill. It is tragic but it need not be even more tragic. You must act now.” He started to cry a little and nodded. I told him: you are in your career because I gave you the impetus to do what you do. I’m doing it again, ok? He gave me a hug I’m going to follow up with him this afternoon. I’m very concerned.

I am equally concerned for the monster in the WH. There is no telling what he is capable of and Americans should be frightened. If you are not, you are “whistling past the graveyard”. We are in desperate trouble and it cannot be minimized or shrugged off. It is a form of transcendental sociopathy which almost no one has encountered in a lifetime. It is very frightening. It is time to act in every legitimate manner possible in order to save the civilization.

[spanone]

1. K&R...

[CatMor]

2. I hope he does take your advice ....

for his own safety. I never went through that with my parents or my late husband but it sounds so frightening and heartbreaking.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Thanks for sharing your sad story. I am wishing the best for the couple you treated. As to ...

your blurb about the monster in the WH. I am concerned because I don't see a "we're concerned" environment around this so called president by either his family, his cronies surrounding him at the WH, or in Congress. That's why we need the 25th Amendment to remove incompetent people from the highest office in the land, and the cabinet members (rump's) and other parties are failing dismally in the performance, in fact, mandated by the Constitution and its Amendments to act for the public good, and why we have succession for elected offices, for this very thing. A massive failure of doing what is right.

[Stuart G]

4. Thank You great post, and Thank You for all your posts and work at DU

[lunatica]

5. It's not his wife being violent, it's her illness attacking her brain

I know you know this, of course, but it’s important that family members understand this sooner than later.

This is a disease that makes you go through the stages of grief more than once. Right now he’s going through the grief of the loss of part of her.

You’re a truly wonderful human being. I say this as a years’ long admirer on DU.

[Warpy]

9. I've seen violence begin and then escalate in mid stage dementia

The dementia patient is so compromised there is no longer any room for denial and free floating anger often takes its place. Anyone who gets too close when they're angry is going to get slugged. Nothing is planned, so they are unlikely to find a knife or load a gun because by the time they do this, they've forgotten what they were going to do with them.

At this point, chemical control has to come in, something that often appears to make the dementia worse as it makes caregivers safer.

Orange Blob is still in the early stages, believe it or not, with signs of complication by substance abuse. Most of what we're seeing in him is malignant narcissism.

[keithbvadu2]

6. A neighbor's wife was doing that to him before she died and was incredibly strong, physically, in he

A neighbor's wife was doing that to him before she died and was incredibly strong, physically, in her determination.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. I have heard dementia can lead to abrupt and unexpected violence

but really no one knows what form it might take. There is a point to seize the car keys, and lock away the scissors. Some doctors tweak the ups and downs well. Some don't. It's not exactly a crap shoot, but the outcomes are uncertain.

[barbtries]

8. "whistling past the graveyard"

i don't know how many times i have thought or said that phrase lately. today at the Moral March to my companions i said the analogy of the frogs in water is very apt.
it was a disappointing turnout. will apathy take us out?? i don't know, but my girlfriend's mother came along to her first march ever, so that's a bright spot.

[burrowowl]

10. You are a good friend

I hope he listens.

[Atticus]

11. Bless you for caring AND acting. Well done. nt