Sorry about your loss! My father got diagnosed with this about a year and a half ago, and the first paragraph of your post sounds very familiar. Not a clear (or rapid anyway) change in personality, but certain aspects of it seem to somehow become amplified. He's still able to do a lot of the same things as always, but they seem to turn into reflexes and mannerisms.
At this point he often falls into the verbal loops described in the article, and hasn't really been able to hold a conversation for quite a while. Exacerbated by his poor hearing. He's also extremely restless, and wants to run the washing machine and dishwasher and go for groceries many times a day. When my parents still owned a dog he'd take of for a three minute walk every hour, and he drives my mother nuts by constantly wanting to help out with housework but then being unable to comprehend the simplest of instructions.
He currently spends about a week every month in an assisted care facility, and my mother seems to have finally let herself be talked into looking for a permanent spot for him, though with Covid-19 is hard to tell what will happen and when.
It was a relief when we finally got the diagnosis after he was repeatedly hospitalized for unrelated stuff in late 2018 though. It had been obvious to everyone that knew him for at least five years prior that something was wrong, but he didn't display any of the obvious signs of Alzheimer's. I guess it took extended time spent around medical professionals and a thorough checkup for them to see that something was wrong.
Also to all the young people freaking out about the inability to concentrate: Relax! From everything I've seen and heard a telltale sign of FTD is complete obliviousness on the part of the patient.
The gradual decline slowly conditions you, like the proverbial frog in the pot of water. It was strange going back and reading some of his old emails and letters recently to try and find some info I needed. It was like, "Wow! He used to be really articulate and lucid and funny". I almost forgot that guy by the end :-(
At this point he often falls into the verbal loops described in the article, and hasn't really been able to hold a conversation for quite a while. Exacerbated by his poor hearing. He's also extremely restless, and wants to run the washing machine and dishwasher and go for groceries many times a day. When my parents still owned a dog he'd take of for a three minute walk every hour, and he drives my mother nuts by constantly wanting to help out with housework but then being unable to comprehend the simplest of instructions.
He currently spends about a week every month in an assisted care facility, and my mother seems to have finally let herself be talked into looking for a permanent spot for him, though with Covid-19 is hard to tell what will happen and when.
It was a relief when we finally got the diagnosis after he was repeatedly hospitalized for unrelated stuff in late 2018 though. It had been obvious to everyone that knew him for at least five years prior that something was wrong, but he didn't display any of the obvious signs of Alzheimer's. I guess it took extended time spent around medical professionals and a thorough checkup for them to see that something was wrong.
Also to all the young people freaking out about the inability to concentrate: Relax! From everything I've seen and heard a telltale sign of FTD is complete obliviousness on the part of the patient.