Multi-infarct Dementia

Subject: Multi-infarct Dementia

Forum: The Mental Health Forum

My father is a 74-y-o white male diagnosed with multi-farct dimentia (dementia) caused by aterial fibrilation.  He received a left artifical heart valve about 8 years ago, and  has been on cumadin (coumadin) to prevent blood clots.  His condition is complicated by congestive heart failure, and type II diabetes.  
Dementia symptoms are evidenced by very eratic sleep patterns (nods off in the middle of conversations but then wakes at 3 AM and gets up and gets dressed).  He has lost all sense of judgement and reasoning.  For instance if he gets cold, you don't know if he'll adjust the thermostat, put on four shirts or set a fire in the livingroom.    He has severe disnomia and can hardly say a sentence w/o substituting sounds for words he's lost.  
He can still walk, and still talk so he is not elligible for any kind of nursing care.  I'm concerned he will become the next little old guy on the news that is lost.  We don't have a large family or much in the way of financial resources.  I'm scared he'll decided to "go to work" or take a drive (yikes!) or take a walk when his wife is attempting to sleep (she exhausted).  Can you give us any terminology that can help us with the insurance companies to convince them he is better off in a nursing facility, or do they really see it as a cost saving measure if he get's himself killed walking along the road?  We're at our wits end but have been told that as long as he can shower on his own, he's not eligible for nursing care.  Our family is overwhelmed with his care and despite the serious nature of all his diagnoses, he seems to be recovering from every crisis and still has a strong will to live.  








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Re: Multi-infarct Dementia HFHS MD-JM 3/23/1999
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