Is there a time period for these stages? My 86 yr old father was diagnosed with congestive heart failure about 5 years ago . We are not sure what stage he is in or what to expect. Can anyone give me some information on this or tell me where to find some. I have checked online, but I didn't see anything about stages or a timelilne.
He also has dementia, so sometimes getting a straight answer from him about how he is feeling or if something is wrong, is tricky.
Can anyone give any info??
Thank you.
My father-in-law has not been "officially" diagnosed with CHF. He has had four different by-pass surgeries and three angioplasties. When he was at Cleveland Clinic for a new heart valve, they asked if anyone had diagnosed him with CHF, but didn’t confirm it there either. That was over five years ago and he is still going. Other physicians have asked the same question, but none has said it definitively. If he doesn’t take a mountain of medications swells up like a balloon. Also has beginning stages of dementia. Due to incontinence issues created by the medications, he is often not too pleasant to be around. He can't smell it and gets testy if we tell him he needs to go change. Refuses to wear protection no matter how it is presented to him. We never refer to them as adult diapers, although, that is how everyone perceives them. What is it with old people? I would think they want to preserve some semblance of dignity, but maybe the mind just doesn’t care any longer. However, my mother was 95 with severe dementia when she died and through the fog she ALWAYS wanted to be clean. I deeply appreciated and respected that about her, even if it wasn’t always easy.
My father-in-law lives with us. He can't go too far without being out of breath. He basically does sitting activities and, sadly, since the death of his wife, they include drinking. Breaks your heart. Along with being very frustrating on numerous levels, especially when the doctors don’t back us when we try to discourage its use with the medications. I too have wondered how much longer he can keep going. He is 86 and out lived his wife who died from dementia three years ago and my mother died last December at 95.........all have lived with us. We are becoming very knowledgeable in areas we never wanted to experience.
I hope someone out there can shed light on the CHF timeline. I know each person is an individual, but am finding there is a pattern to most of the illnesses.
Thank you in advance for you input and thanks for reading. This is a fantastic site and deeply appreciated by all of us who go through the trials and love while caring for loved ones.
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