What is your experience with dementia?

I have an in-law with dementia. His (much younger) wife is taking care of him, but is not ready to consider a nursing home yet. I think he’s getting to the point where it would be reasonable to consider.

I had a great-grandmother who had dementia. She would try to go to the bathroom in a cupboard. Once she started wandering and being combative she went to a nursing home.

What about you? Did the person end up going into a nursing home? What were the circumstances? How did you cope?