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My husband has dementia. He is sometimes lucid, sometimes not. How long will this go on? Will he get to the point where he no longer remembers anything?

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LNorman, when my parents were going through dementia in their late 90's, I noticed a pattern with both of them. Both seem to step into a time machine where they went back to the 1940's, when they were first married. Mom would mention wanting to visit her parents and sibling like there were still around. Dad would talk about his business meetings and having to catch the bus home.


I played along so not to frighten them. And used "therapeutic fibs" when necessary, especially when Mom would ask to visit her parents. I told her her parents were visiting the old country, and that put a smile on her face :)
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Reply to freqflyer
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Dementia varies just as much as people do. Your experience won’t be the exact same as anyone else’s, but I’m a firm believer the person and who they once were is still “in there” and will always have moments of realization and clarity. We may not even catch them as it might be brief
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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Lnorman, dementia is such an odd thing. There really is no way to tell

Some people do that, some don't. Some peoples dementia, just stays at the same stage forever, some decline fast.

There is very little rhyme or reason about any of it. Or anything that science has figured out, as of yet

I'm so sorry about your husband.

I would just advise not to push his lucid moments, that could aggravate him. Just let them come naturally and enjoy them when you get them.

Best of luck. Feel free to ask us anything, anytime
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Reply to Anxietynacy
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By the end my mom was mostly so lost she couldn't even tell you her own name, but there were also days when she was absolutely "there" - I only saw this because I was with her every day (but pretty much everyone else disbelieved me).
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Reply to cwillie
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My 100-yr old Aunt with advanced dementia (symptoms apparent since 89) mostly remembered those she was closest to (in her long-term memory) who were still around her (her 2 sisters, her 2 caregiver nieces, and me since she helped raise me) and always seemed most like her "old self" at night when I was putting her to bed. When I was doing her bedtime routine she would grab my hand and pull me in to kiss me and thank me profusely -- no matter how awful things went during the day.
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Reply to Geaton777
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