How soon after diagnosis with Dementia did your relative stop living alone?

[Anonymous]

I posted earlier, but wanted to reiterate what others have said. Diagnosis and timeline dont mean much in the abstract. Its all about where your father is right now and how fast he is declinign. Some people spend years in stage X, others months. The one piece of advice I have is that if he is willing to move, do it sooner rather than later. The more cognitive skills he has now, the easier it will be for him to adjust (and easier on you). Expect a bit of a setback at first. I moved my mom when she understood the pros and cons of moving, and was still capable of choosing a facility with my input/doing the paperwork/legwork, making decisions about furniture if I gave her choices, meeting people, learning the routine (meals, etc). That was almost 2 years ago. Today, she would probably find it too overwhelming to start and I think it would be much harder to peel her away.

[Anonymous]

Unplug the stove.

My grandmother lived alone for only a few months. It became very clear after my grandfather died he had been compensating for her. She was still relatively ok (could drive and do a little cooking) but after she moved into assisted living those quickly stopped. She plateaued for a bit and was good for a few years, and then declined quickly her last 2 years or so.