Senility, Alzheimers, and Nursing Homes

Honestly? If I got Alzheimers or something like that, I would not kill myself.

Instead, I would will my still-living body to Science, and basically tell the researchers "Poke at my degrading brain to your heart's content, and try not to worry too much about ethical issues". With a bit of luck, this might end up being of some sort of use for finding some sort of cure (of course, it would almost certainly be far too late for me by then, but eh, you can't have everything), or, at least, help some young researchers learn the basics of the field.

And then I would die, quite possibly shitting myself in front of the nurses. Not a great ending, I will admit, but I'd be OK with it.

edited 27th Sep '11 6:27:58 AM by Carciofus

I'm really hoping they'll have neuro-upload by the time that might happen. (which it's looking like they might)

Same here. Though I was more hoping of replacing my brain and body with cybernetics (let's not use the word "computers" because that's not quite how the brain works), eventually becoming a compleat machine.

Not because I fear the Grim Reaper, but because the best way to respect the old dude is to fight and keep him away for a long as possible.

It took about 13 years for Alzheimers to finally kill my maternal grandmother. If I'm diagnosed and still have enough presence of mind, the end will come far swifter...the only thing that worries me about that decision is how it would affect my wife in terms of insurance.

I actually worry a good bit about the subject of this thread. My mom is in her 70s, and barring some freakish "relative I never knew I had gave me a megabuck in his/her will" incident I don't know how I'd handle her going too far to stay out of a nursing home fiscally, let alone the emotional aspect.

I wasn't there as much as I would've liked (being pre-teen and living a several hour car trip away), but I did get to partially watch my grandfather on my mom's side slowly fade away from Alzheimer's. It hurt like hell to watch a man who had busted ass on the Northern Illinois railroad for most of his adult life (until an accident forced a medical retirement) fade away like that, going from a healthy and active person with one hell of an HO-scale railroading setup covering almost the entire basement of the house that he was always working on in his free time to someone who couldn't even remember the name of his wife for well over 50 years, let alone that of the redheaded beanpole (namely, me) that was visiting him.

It doesn't seem to have gone any further in my family, but it does tend to hang about at the back of my mind. I honestly don't know how I'd handle it if I was the one so afflicted. Going out by choice before my mind was too far gone to even know who I was without checking my license is, though, awfully tempting.

edited 16th Apr '12 10:04:55 AM by Nohbody

I´ve assumed that maybe I would need to quit if I reach some level of degradation. I lived all my live with old folks and there´s a limit than I dont want to cross. I mean, some things are pretty scaring.

I think my main problem will be make a test that allow me to know when I reach a "uncomfortable zone" of mental capacities.

But I have a lot of years to plain it.

By the way, I can see old people going to the cybers or making land parties. Like the old men today than meet every afternoon to play cards and other things. Maybe they would play more strategy and RPGS than shooters, but Im convinced that I will see it.

"2057 Counter Striker 1.6 tournament"

edited 17th Apr '12 9:14:47 AM by Picheleiro

They all terrify me, simple as that. Killing myself, freezing my brain, uploading to a supercomputer/artificial body, accepting my fate and fading away into pre-death oblivion: none of them appeal to me.

I just hope by the time I'm old enough for them to start effecting me, I'll have come to terms with my morality, gotten the most out of my life, and be ready to accept the end.

My grandma is 88 and is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She knows she has it, and she's always apologizing. Like she'll ask my mom something she just asked and she'll apologize for asking so many times. If I'm anything like her, I'll probably end up accepting my fate. I am pretty sure she's at peace with her soul. She's stopped arguing with my mom over "living in sin" with my stepdad, and she's somehow come to accept gay people. Hopefully I'll be like her.

Most types of Alzheimers I could accept in myself, I think. Even in the later stages, the quality of life you can have can be very good, and you can still enjoy it. I've already got brain fog with CFS: I know befuddlement and sudden dips in performance and mood swings aren't the end of the world, if you can accept them. <shrugs> But, I understand if some people cannot do so.

It's other degenerative conditions that give me the willies. Like ALS, MS and Motor Neuron, for instance. <shudders> Those can get very, very painful, restrictive and the personality altering that can occur can be very distressing for those around you, if not yourself.

I see my fair share of Alzheimer's patients every day. It's not a fate I'd want for myself, TBH. I can only imagine how frustrating it gets to see your cognitive function slowly slip away. If I ever find myself reaching that stage, I'll probably sign a living will before it's too late. On that note, though, the ones who really suffer in the later stages are the caregivers - the actual patients are too far gone to be aware of their situation at that point.

@Pyrite - Fascinating. And painful.

You're exactly right...I'm firmly convinced that my grandfather would have lived at least a few years more without the stress of trying to take care of my grandmother during the first 5-6 years of her degeneration.

I'd sign a living will and hope that any remaining family members I have at that point are up to making any decisions for me. Probably wouldn't ask for any plug-pulling or whatever unless I'm completely on life support, other than that they've got to live with me til I keel over.

If my brother ends up not marrying or having kids, and I continue in my "I don't need a partner or children" mindset, I'll probably try to live in one of those retirement communities. Not a nursing home; I'm talking the ones that have condos/apartments, nursing care can be provided if needed, and there's community type stuff to do with other old fogies. And I'll let them take care of me as I deteriorate.

As I've spent the last year + at a nursing home specifically for Dementia in all its forms, I'd say that this disease is just scary in how it manifests itself.