My husband had young onset dementia. The first time I noticed frequent problems was after his stroke. He was only 60, and it was a “mini-stroke” according to the brain scans. He fell as he got up from a chair, and as I helped him up, his left leg seemed unable to move, so we went immediately to the ER.
Following this event, he had a slight limp and frequently had trouble with words. Months later, the limp was mostly gone and he seemed better. There were days when he would forget to do something and say I had not told him it was needed. I began to think I was going crazy. Dementia does that.
As those days became more frequent, I began making sure that I was prepared. I wasn’t crazy; dementia makes everyone around it crazy. If your loved one is making you feel like you are crazy, you need to prepare. Maybe, it is you (lol), but if not, it won’t hurt to prepare for “What if my loved one has dementia?”
I made plans including updating my legal documents, selling a rental property, and buying a life insurance policy with a lifetime long-term care rider. I’m glad I did.
