I have two parents and a mother-in-law in the early stages of dementia. It's hard to deal with, but it can be funny at times.

Jk. I know what you are going through. My mom had both 10 years ago, but it took her fast.

Sorry to hear that, my Dad's 84 and is showing some signs of memory loss, how do you get a diagnosis, or is it pretty obvious?

Usually the primary care physician will refer you to a psychiatrist. You may be able to get help from a doctor specializing in geriatrics as well.

Stay strong. The biggest thing is to take time for yourself. It's like what they say on planes, put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others. You're no good to them if you can't be mentally and physically fit enough to help yourself.

Thanks, he is a carpenter and has some pretty deadly machinery in his shed, which we are just rebuilding in a new house he just bought. One the hand, this will keep his mind active, but one the other, it could be pretty dangerous as he gets older. A dilemma!

Get him interested in safer activities. Lawn work (no big tools), growing flowers or vegetables, even jigsaw puzzles or sudoku. Sometimes it's best to try and have him teach you a new skill like working on your car. Just say you forgot how to do it.

Get him interested in safer activities. Lawn work (no big tools), growing flowers or vegetables, even jigsaw puzzles or sudoku. Sometimes it's best to try and have him teach you a new skill like working on your car. Just say you forgot how to do it.

Good one. I did buy a chess board to teach him to play, so that's a start. He watched me pull my old moto guzzis apart in their garage when I was younger, so there's no fooling him there! Thanks for your kind words, it helps :-)

We were fortunate that the long term care facility my mom and dad ended up in was nice and the staff were great (we are still in contact with some of them). We never dreaded going there and even made friends with other residents and their families. One important thing I didn't realize for a while is that you can't argue/fight/say no to people with dementia. You learn to deflect or change the subject. Good luck on this, at times difficult, journey.

It's usually not obvious at first. Sometimes there's denial. Over time though if you can see a progression (or is it regression?) Denton's advice is solid. I never realized how bad my dad's driving was getting (my wife let me know so I went for a drive with him and it was scary). Then there was the wandering. For one person it can be overwhelming so take help where you can.

You usually don't realize the stress until it is too late. At that point, it's despair taking over after not being able to handle it yourself anymore. You feel that you need to assume the job of a parent to the one who raised you. It can run so bad that you don't even realize the toll it takes on you and your loved ones. I wouldn't wish that turmoil on anyone.

Thanks for the advice, yep his driving is scary, but thankfully he's just had a hip operation which is keeping him off the road.

Yes, taking away a license is tough on anyone. My dad disappeared one day and the police found him. A $300 towing charge was paid but we were happy to get him back safely. He wanted to put the car in the driveway and went into the house to look for spare keys. I hid his car a few streets away.

He's come to the realisation that he will lose his licence soon, so that may not be a biggie. Thanks for the support :-)