When those under the age of 65 are diagnosed with dementia, it’s deemed an early-onset, or young-onset, form. Currently, the debilitating disease affects 70,800 people living in the UK - all of whom have experienced a range of symptoms, impacting language, vision or overall behaviour.
However, fewer consider the effects of the disease on family members and loved ones who often take on the caregiver role to ensure their relative has the best possible care.
And Staci, who goes by @latelifemomming on TikTok, who shares her life as a mother to her two-year-old on the video-sharing platform, has increasingly opened up about her diagnosis and how her mother has dealt with the duties that come with it.
Talking about how she was first diagnosed, she and her mother spoke about how she was having "word-finding problems", which involved saying the wrong word for a certain word.
The mother-daughter duo aired some of their concerns online
|@latelifemomming/TikTok
For instance, she would say "open the carpet", instead of "open the curtain", but such an incident would occur "only once in a while".
Additionally, she experienced having words "on the tip of her tongue" but couldn't quite remember what she wanted to say throughout the day, as well as some short-term memory loss and multitasking issues.
Recently, speaking to followers in one of her latest videos, the 47-year-old was joined by her mother Kathy, addressing the worries that she has ever since Staci was diagnosed with the memory-robbing disease.
“I don’t like to think of myself as a caregiver yet. Staci’s very early on, and as far as doing things for herself, she can do all her ADLs (activities of daily living),” the 72-year-old shared, adding: “A lot of it is emotional support, which can get difficult at times.”
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The mother-daughter duo explained that the whole situation is further complicated by their upcoming move to Tennessee, which Kathy said would make things “harder”.
When they make the leap, Kathy said that her job will be “mainly helping Staci” with her two-year-old.
Quickly adding that he’s a “wonderful” toddler, she admitted that taking care of a toddler in addition to two dogs, one of which is a puppy, would be a lot to handle.
Another worry that Kathy expressed was that, when the move was being planned before Staci’s diagnosis, her daughter and her partner were intending to build a basement so that they could all live together.
She said that the promise added “a lot of reassurance and safety” for her because she is single, adding: “Now, I will not have that most probably.”
Staci shared her mother's final concern
|@latelifemomming/TikTok
And, finally, Staci stepped in to explain her mother’s last concern: “She’s worried about who will take care of her when she’s older, which is valid.”
“I’m also worried about wearing out, I don’t have the energy,” Kathy weighed in, chuckling with her daughter.
Even some of Staci’s followers shared their own story, commenting: “I am soon to be 76 and will be moving in with my daughter who is 46, her husband, 50, and two children, two and four.
“I do have a lot of energy, but it would be a lot easier if I was doing this when I was 50!”