My husband has been diagnosed with Frontotemperal dementia. His identical twin has it also. They are 69. From what I have learned they are old to have it. Not sure how to handle all of this and know when is the right time for someone to come in and help? is it ok to leave him? Etc etc.
Thanks
Before his family took him over, my nephew was living with and caring for him. He reallyc ouldn't be appropriate on his own. He had the typical aphasia that had developed so his communication skills for lacking which produce frustration and stress. When he was stressed, it led to argumentative and explosive behavior because he had no impulse control, and no inhibitions about his behavior.
In my BIL's case, it was not genetic. The doctors diagnosed it as being related to one particular highly aggravating incident in his life. The genetic form generally does come on earlier, so I would say that your husband and his twin are fortunate in a way did the onset was delayed. Of course, no one is fortunate to have any kind of dementia.
With my BIL, they did leave him by himself in the early stages but found it they could not prevent him from driving, which was dangerous. Taking away his keys and then his car only serve to make him violently angry because he believed he was fine. When his family moved across country and away from my nephew, they quickly learned that he could not be by himself. They ran themselves ragged sharing shifts so he wouldn't be alone but after a year of that, were forced to place him in a facility. Typical of all other dementias, he eventually died because he became ill and his body, his immune system, couldn't remember how to heal itself.
Since your husbands condition has come on late and there's no way to predict a progression, you will have to closely observed and evaluate his behavior to know if it's OK to leave him by himself, when it's time to get an in home caregiver or when it may become necessary to place him.
There is much you can read on the web about FTD that will help you watch for symptoms and signs.
Please keep posting.