I am 80 he is 77 we have no family nearby we have lived in present house. I am thinking of moving to another state to be near family members my husband of 54years has mild to moderate Alzheimer's a family member will care for him if needed would this move be more confusing for him we have no family nearby to help us I plan to get him a dog would this help? I am 80 he is 77 we have lived in our present home for 37years
But you really have to take one day at a time. Do the best you can to make today and tomorrow and next week the best quality of life the two of you can achieve. Don't be too driven by what may happen in a year or five years or ten years. Be realistic about the future, but be proactive about the present.
If you do move, I hope you will be bringing lots of familiar and comforting items from the current home. (My mother liked having her own familiar bedspread in the nursing home.)
At 80, even if you are very healthy and strong, it is probably becoming increasingly difficult for you to care for him alone. Having you less stressed and more relaxed probably outweighs the risk of increased confusion.
I can understand you wanting to move to be closer to family, plus you have a family member who volunteered to help take care of your husband... but please note, with Alzheimer's you will eventually need 3 full-time caregivers each working an 8-hour shift every single day. At 80 years old, there is no way you would be able to continue helping even with the help of another family member. We all start having our own age related declines.
As for a dog, if you get one, get the dog for yourself, not for your husband. Your husband might enjoy the dog for a short time frame then you will need to be doing all the care for the dog. Please note, do not get a puppy as dogs can live past 10 years old, which means you would be 90... it wouldn't be fair to the dog.