Not long after my Mom died of a massive heart attack in front of my Dad in the kitchen, Dad was diagnosed with vascular dementia. In addition to his massive grief, this caused “passing out” spells. This resulted in several fall injuries, ER visits and weeks of rehab each time, loss of focus, paranoia, anxiety and explosive rage issues.
Compounding the issue was that Dad would never live outside his home and vowed to die there before he would ever live anywhere else.
My father and I had been estranged for nearly my entire life. When Mom died, none of my siblings would help with Dad, so I was all he had left. To say the least, it was a major life-altering event for me on a personal and professional level. The time commitment alone was exhaustive. At first, I had to constantly battle depression and feelings of hopeless rage.
In addition to the above, he had severe eye and vision issues, his hearing was failing, he had chronic diabetes, kidney problems and liver issues from decades of chronic alcoholism. Plus, he had had over the years five heart attacks resulting in two open heart surgeries. Lastly, he was a three-pack-a-day smoker.
So, when I found out he had degenerative vascular dementia? It was the “rotten cherry” on top of everything else.
Sadly, as I didn’t know of anything that could be done to arrest or elevate his vascular dementia, I tried to deal with his physical and emotional decline as best I could.
Adding to his physical ailments and problems, he refused to seek treatment for his cognitive issues. He didn’t trust therapists, psychiatrists, etc…and the mere mention that he seek help for his vascular dementia would send him into a paranoid rage that would last for hours…sometimes days.
If an app like PhrenD were available at the time. It would have been a great help to me as I could have applied it as an “activity,” and not so much as a “task.” Dad trusted me for the most part, so I am quite certain he would have been engaged.
Dad passed away a little over two years ago at the age of 73, from what his doctors described as “complications of vascular dementia,” just before the COVID lockdowns began. If there was a “silver lining?” It was that he passed away before COVID really struck en masse; if he had contracted COVID, I honestly do not think he could’ve survived it.
The PhrenD app, developed by Dr. Lauren Flaherty, Neuropsychology Fellow and Researcher, is designed to assist individuals diagnosed with MCI in cognitive recovery. It offers several activities — such as puzzles and timed memory tests — in addition to suggested brain-stimulating habits (diet, sleep, meditation). Additional information includes an overview of how the brain works to help patients and loved ones understand MCI and the changes that go on in the brain. What’s more, the app features an interactive reporting component that allows patients to complete the activities on their own – or with the help of a loved one.
Download PhrenD today to begin your journey:
