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He cannot find his way around the house anymore and truly believes we are only visiting a strange house in a strange town. We have lived here 30 years. Other than that, he knows everyone and remembers details of our life. Anyone else having this same issue?

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This is a very common issue. He probably will never remember that this is his home.
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Reply to JustAnon
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People can recover from a stroke and so can Their memory eventually .
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Reply to KNance72
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I always tell my wife that we are home, this is where you're loved. That seems to satisfy her.
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Reply to jwellsy
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It's called Sundowning and is a very common feature of dementia. He remembers details of your past life because its in his long-term memory. Dementia takes the short-term memory first. The home he is wants to go to is one from his long-term memory.
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Reply to Geaton777
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The part of his brain that affects these memories must have been damaged by the stroke, sadly. Why don't you tell him that you have to move and give him a reason, such as that the government had to take the house by eminent domain or that while he was in the hospital the house flooded beyond repair. These are known as "therapeutic fibs." Then see if he can learn his way around the "new house" and "new town."

As Sam said, find out as much as you can from his doctor(s) about the details of the damage done, so that you can prepare for what lies ahead.
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Reply to MG8522
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Parts of his brain have been damaged by the stroke. You can ask his doctors or check in his MyChart if you have access to it, to see what parts were damaged. You can then look that up and see what you may be in for.

It's not just memory, it's executive function, ability to understand where the body is in space and how to move it, all kinds of things the brain does that can be affected by a stroke. It can also kick off or reveal vascular dementia.

Did he do rehab after the stroke? If not, see if he can get into it now. Most of the recovery happens in the first few months after the stroke, although the brain can repair itself by using other parts of the brain to work where the damaged parts did the work before. But most of the time, the stroke starts a downward trajectory that can last years or decades. That's something to prepare for anyway, but now that your husband is exhibiting signs and symptoms of brain damage from the stroke, it's more of a priority.
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Reply to SamTheManager
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