One night a few years ago, Mom called to say that she and Dad were watching baseball, as our family regularly did, and he couldn't understand what was happening.  She was frightened, and even with Dad sitting right next to her, Mom said she felt so alone.  It's hard to know how Dad felt at that moment - maybe he was felt alone and scared, too. 

Our dad was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia.  Not the same as Alzheimer's disease, which most people think of when the symptoms of dementia appear, but there are surely similarities.  As with Alzheimer's sufferers, there were times when his mind was fairly clear but other times when he was so confused.  We learned later on, though, that Dad's most acute dementia symptoms were triggered by medication side effects, dehydration and a long-undetected infection.

This was perhaps most unnerving and mysterious part of Dad's entire ordeal.  It made him seem so far away, and at a time when his other health complications screamed out for the comfort and love of his family.  We hope that, by presenting the basics here, we might help you avoid the same fear and the confusion.