I went through that with my husband. Not only that but it progressed to him coming and checking on me or calling out to me if I was out of sight and then to him wanting to sit on the bed or be in the bathroom when I was getting ready in the morning. He was very scared if I wasn’t around. Now he is not safe to leave alone anyway so I always take him with me. Never a minute alone. I recently asked the Dr for an antidepressant because he was saying things like he was useless, he wished he could just die. He seems much more at ease. He still wants me near, but I have gotten a peaceful shower in! At night he would wake me up or be grabbing at me to make sure I was there and now he has been sleeping all night and thankfully I have too! An anti anxiety med might be another choice. I have one to use as needed for his sundowners. My Dr said that depression and anxiety are almost universal with dementia. He will never admit to being depressed or anxious but I wish I had asked for the antidepressant much earlier in his dementia. He is so much more relaxed and calm. Discuss your husband’s behavior with his Dr. Sometimes they need to adjust the dosage or try a different med but keep at it. Good luck.

If you are thinking of getting a helper one or two days a week, this may be an excellent time to do it. The more he can comprehend when you are introducing them the better. To introduce somebody when he can’t follow or remember is more likely to produce anxiety and fear. Maybe having the person over once while you are also there and not going anywhere will also help him to accept the person. When you are gone perhaps the helper can share some ice cream with him. I feel it is very very important for caregivers to reserve a little time and energy for themselves. Good luck on making the transition.

My husband just started an antidepressant . He remains highly functional, but is unmotivated to do much of anything and his mood was becoming more negative. I have to take him with me for most errands now unless it is for just a brief period of time. It's simply because I'm never quite sure what he'll get into. Safety is key .Thinking seriously of getting some help for just a few hours maybe 1 or 2 days a week just to have some me time. That is so very important for all of us caregivers.

My solution was to get a caregiver for four hours a day, five days a week (in the morning from 9 am to 1 pm). This way I can get a lot of errands done quickly. Otherwise, I take her with me shopping, when I get a haircut, when I go to the doctor, etc. She is good about sitting in a waiting room but I always tell the clerk about her diagnosis and that she is not to let her leave the room. I have a much easier situation than some of you as Laura likes to read and in the evening she watches CNN obsessively, though in neither case can she tell you what she has read or listened to. We have two floors and I can go to the lower floor where my computers are and get some work done. But there certainly are occasions when she suddenly wonders where I am and comes looking for me. Mornings are not a problem since we shower together and I dress her. She generally does what I ask without too much hassle. I think husbands with dementia are much more difficult.

When I first started using sitters, my husband was very confused. He insisted he could stay home alone. I told him that the sitter was there to keep him company, and for my peace of mind. Fortunately, he’s always been very mellow and accepted this. The sitter we had for the last eight months was just precious. She adored him and even came to his funeral.