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I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
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V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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She has been on the medication for three weeks now. Wondering if any of you have used this drug for your loved one with dementia and if so, what was your experience? Did it help or did it make things worse?
The only thing Donepezil will do for some(but not the majority)is slow that dementia process down, but often the side effects are not worth it. My husband was on it, and initially I thought it may be helping, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking as he had the most aggressive of all the dementias, vascular dementia and really there is nothing to slow down that or the other dementias as well. And really now in retrospect(my husband died in 2020), why would anyone want to slow down the progression of any of the dementias as it only makes it harder for the person suffering from it and those who are caring for that person, as there is only one outcome from the horrible disease of dementia and that is death. I wish that until someone finally finds a cure for dementia that doctors would quit prescribing medications that don't help or work and often make things worse. All it does is give folks false hopes.
Thanks for your reply to my question. We are really struggling with this and I appreciate your viewpoint. I never really thought of it in that way, so thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
My mother has been taking the 5mg pill for about a year now. My sister and I noticed a marked improvement in the "clarity" of her thinking once she was on it. We both knew that it was a temporary stopgap and would not stop the disease. My mom eventually started to forget to take it and it was obvious in her cognition changes-thinking became even more confused, confabulations, etc.
She moved into AL 1.5 weeks ago. I believe that the meds allowed her to live alone in her own home for the last year. Without it she would have been in AL much sooner. As her MPOA I have agreed with her doctor that we will not move up to the higher dosage and will discontinue the medication when taking it no longer shows a positive benefit. My mom wants to fight this disease for as long as she can. She has no real side effects from it so if taking it allows her to "fight" it I see no harm in it.
I do agree with others that part of me doesn't want to prolong her suffering in the stage where she realizes she's losing her memory. But she's slowly moving through that phase even with the meds and finding her own, new reality.
In early stages these medications are supposed to slow the progression. That said if it works in the early stages it does not work forever and that is the tricky part. At what point do you discontinue the medication that may or may not still be working. There are other medications, newer ones that may or again may not work in slowing the progression. My Husband was on Aricept (donepezil) for many years. Another medication was added (Namenda) but we/I discontinued it as the side effects were not worth it.
Thanks for your reply! If she tolerates this medication, they are talking about adding a second. Do you mind sharing what side effects you saw that made you decide to not continue the second medication?
My husband has been on it nearly two years. He has Frontal Temporal Dementia. Haven't noticed any side effects-yet. He's also on 12 other meds....so...who knows when/if there will be changes. All that the health care providers can do is symptom management. There is nothing else. My friend's father had Alzheimers-phenobarbital really calmed him down and stopped his screaming-and this was two years ago. Other people get Xanax, Valium, Haldol (yes, Haldol is still around) even Vicodin are a few meds that come to mind. Although a lot of dementia symptoms are similiar, there are so many variations in the symptoms because every brain is wired differently. Depending on what people are comfortable with as far as treatment is concerned, it may take a few tries to find the right combination of medication to manage dementia symptoms. I'm ok with medicating symptoms. As with pain management in cancer, I think there is a comfort factor to be considered. As long as the person is resting comfortably, not agitated, not screaming, and the medication(s) are able to sooth the brain, it is acceptable for me to have this for my husband, because, as stated earlier, there is nothing else.
My husband was on Donepezil for almost 13 years. I mentioned to a fellow support group member a strange new behavior and obsession of fecal hoarding. She replied, "Aricept. Tell your doctor to stop prescribing it". My husband's neurologist said it does happen, and since Aricept was no longer helping my husband stopping will stop this new behavior, and it did.
I agree with Funkygrandma59. Prolonging this disease is h*ll. Expensive, isolating, caregiver's health and life destroying h*ll.
My husband was on it and it helped for about a year … after that Namenda was added and helped with sharper thinking as well. No side effects … these meds helped but only for short while … I think it slowed progression of his Lewy body dementia but nothing stops the progression… I felt I needed to try anything to make him more comfortable aware and less confused. Of course they don’t work same on everyone … there’s nothing else so what have you got lose..this cruel disease only goes one way .. best luck
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
My husband was on it, and initially I thought it may be helping, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking as he had the most aggressive of all the dementias, vascular dementia and really there is nothing to slow down that or the other dementias as well.
And really now in retrospect(my husband died in 2020), why would anyone want to slow down the progression of any of the dementias as it only makes it harder for the person suffering from it and those who are caring for that person, as there is only one outcome from the horrible disease of dementia and that is death.
I wish that until someone finally finds a cure for dementia that doctors would quit prescribing medications that don't help or work and often make things worse. All it does is give folks false hopes.
She moved into AL 1.5 weeks ago. I believe that the meds allowed her to live alone in her own home for the last year. Without it she would have been in AL much sooner. As her MPOA I have agreed with her doctor that we will not move up to the higher dosage and will discontinue the medication when taking it no longer shows a positive benefit. My mom wants to fight this disease for as long as she can. She has no real side effects from it so if taking it allows her to "fight" it I see no harm in it.
I do agree with others that part of me doesn't want to prolong her suffering in the stage where she realizes she's losing her memory. But she's slowly moving through that phase even with the meds and finding her own, new reality.
That said if it works in the early stages it does not work forever and that is the tricky part. At what point do you discontinue the medication that may or may not still be working.
There are other medications, newer ones that may or again may not work in slowing the progression.
My Husband was on Aricept (donepezil) for many years. Another medication was added (Namenda) but we/I discontinued it as the side effects were not worth it.
All that the health care providers can do is symptom management. There is nothing else. My friend's father had Alzheimers-phenobarbital really calmed him down and stopped his screaming-and this was two years ago. Other people get Xanax, Valium, Haldol (yes, Haldol is still around) even Vicodin are a few meds that come to mind. Although a lot of dementia symptoms are similiar, there are so many variations in the symptoms because every brain is wired differently. Depending on what people are comfortable with as far as treatment is concerned, it may take a few tries to find the right combination of medication to manage dementia symptoms.
I'm ok with medicating symptoms. As with pain management in cancer, I think there is a comfort factor to be considered. As long as the person is resting comfortably, not agitated, not screaming, and the medication(s) are able to sooth the brain, it is acceptable for me to have this for my husband, because, as stated earlier, there is nothing else.
I mentioned to a fellow support group member a strange new behavior and obsession of fecal hoarding. She replied, "Aricept. Tell your doctor to stop prescribing it". My husband's neurologist said it does happen, and since Aricept was no longer helping my husband stopping will stop this new behavior, and it did.
I agree with Funkygrandma59. Prolonging this disease is h*ll. Expensive, isolating, caregiver's health and life destroying h*ll.
Did absolutely nothing for my step-mother who has FTD.
My understanding is that if caught early enough it may slow down the progression.
My husband died of cancer before we got to the point of knowing or not knowing if it was doing anything positive.
I would give it a shot, why not? You can always take her off the meds at any time.
try anything to make him more comfortable aware and less confused. Of course they don’t work same on everyone …
there’s nothing else so what have you got lose..this cruel disease only goes one way ..
best luck
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