Cognitive Decline – The Trials

Stages of Decline series outline: fourth installment.  After these outlines are posted I will provide video podcasts of the same themes in a more entertaining and informational format. Please subscribe to this blog to be alerted to each post in the series, and to help generate search engine publicity.

People associate dementia mainly with cognitive decline throughout the affliction, this stage corresponds to when that decline becomes irreversible.  The following bullet points reveal the “Trials” that signaled Cindy’s cognitive decline would be permanent.

  • A year after our hike across the country we still did not know the cause of decline. 
  • I left an important decision up to Cindy that she was not capable of making.
  • In an effort to give Cindy more independence her condition worsened.
  • Failing badly on a cognitive test for disability income devastated Cindy.
  • Cindy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a month after qualifying for disability income.

The lesson I learned from these “Trials” is to assume the worst and become the decision maker for someone whose cognitive decline is not improving.  The next installment in the series will be “Cognitive Decline – The Tribulations.”  The video podcast of this installment will be posted in a few months.  Please subscribe.

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