Hi everyone,
I'm after a bit of advice please - I'm new to this so please bear with ...
My mam (82) is awaiting Parkinsons/Dementia diagnosis. Has been referred to Memory Clinic - appointment is in September (!) As she's not yet diagnosed, I have not been given any contact numbers/support people so have been doing most of my "research" online and in libraries. She regularly confuses me with my daughter/meals on wheels girls, thinks my bag on the chair or cushions are people, talks to soft toys as if they were my kids when they were little "granmas babies". I witnesses an hallucination the other day where she had seen a grey expressionless face and it scared her. Think it might have been the buttons on the small stereo or has caught sight of herself in the mirror. Rang doctor to try to get her in private as September is such a long way off. I know she's also restless at night and has recently been using the downstairs loo because "whoever was in the bathroom was there all night". Hate to think of her wandering around the house - she hasn't yet wandered outside although found her bus pass on the settee other day and bag and coat ready "to go to work". I removed the bus pass swiftly and then got a phone call at 10.30 that evening saying she'd lost it and would have to walk to the office to get another one! I wondered whether I'd done the right thing. I "found" it a few days later and suggested I look after it but she's not happy with that and the bus pass conversation appears every day now! (It's as if she chooses to remember some things!) She also thinks I live there "didn't hear you leave this morning", have had telephone calls to "collect the kids as I want to lock up for the night". And yesterday, I discovered she's been using the shower as a toilet - just wee, I hope! Thing is, this disease seems to be racing along - there's something new for me to worry about every day (in January, she was "normal" enough to suggest a power of attorney be set up, which thankfully we did). So, as nothing has been formally diagnosed yet - and I'm sure once it has, I'll be bombarded with leaflets and support contact numbers etc - I'm just wondering, are all of these things normal with dementia and if so, what type of dementia do you think it might be and what stage do you think she's at? Sorry to ramble - TP seems to be a great place for information for what I've read so far and you all seem so informative here. I have no siblings so am doing all the caring myself in between jobs. She's not at the stage where she needs help dressing, washing, although I do wash her hair. She's still able to wash dishes, iron, hoover (although lately she "doesn't feel like doing anything"). Sleeps a lot in her chair throughout the day. Thanks for listening - any help appreciated xx
Edit as concerned about behaviour.
Phone call last night to say my daughter was unresponsive on the sofa and what should she do. Reassured her it would be ok and would sort it out tomorrow. When I called she showed me my daughter (the cushions) and said she'd been like it all night - unresponsive with a blank face. I was not sure what to do but managed to distract her. There's about 6 cushions on the sofa - should I remove them or would the change do more damage than good?? Any views appreciated??
I'm after a bit of advice please - I'm new to this so please bear with ...
My mam (82) is awaiting Parkinsons/Dementia diagnosis. Has been referred to Memory Clinic - appointment is in September (!) As she's not yet diagnosed, I have not been given any contact numbers/support people so have been doing most of my "research" online and in libraries. She regularly confuses me with my daughter/meals on wheels girls, thinks my bag on the chair or cushions are people, talks to soft toys as if they were my kids when they were little "granmas babies". I witnesses an hallucination the other day where she had seen a grey expressionless face and it scared her. Think it might have been the buttons on the small stereo or has caught sight of herself in the mirror. Rang doctor to try to get her in private as September is such a long way off. I know she's also restless at night and has recently been using the downstairs loo because "whoever was in the bathroom was there all night". Hate to think of her wandering around the house - she hasn't yet wandered outside although found her bus pass on the settee other day and bag and coat ready "to go to work". I removed the bus pass swiftly and then got a phone call at 10.30 that evening saying she'd lost it and would have to walk to the office to get another one! I wondered whether I'd done the right thing. I "found" it a few days later and suggested I look after it but she's not happy with that and the bus pass conversation appears every day now! (It's as if she chooses to remember some things!) She also thinks I live there "didn't hear you leave this morning", have had telephone calls to "collect the kids as I want to lock up for the night". And yesterday, I discovered she's been using the shower as a toilet - just wee, I hope! Thing is, this disease seems to be racing along - there's something new for me to worry about every day (in January, she was "normal" enough to suggest a power of attorney be set up, which thankfully we did). So, as nothing has been formally diagnosed yet - and I'm sure once it has, I'll be bombarded with leaflets and support contact numbers etc - I'm just wondering, are all of these things normal with dementia and if so, what type of dementia do you think it might be and what stage do you think she's at? Sorry to ramble - TP seems to be a great place for information for what I've read so far and you all seem so informative here. I have no siblings so am doing all the caring myself in between jobs. She's not at the stage where she needs help dressing, washing, although I do wash her hair. She's still able to wash dishes, iron, hoover (although lately she "doesn't feel like doing anything"). Sleeps a lot in her chair throughout the day. Thanks for listening - any help appreciated xx
Edit as concerned about behaviour.
Phone call last night to say my daughter was unresponsive on the sofa and what should she do. Reassured her it would be ok and would sort it out tomorrow. When I called she showed me my daughter (the cushions) and said she'd been like it all night - unresponsive with a blank face. I was not sure what to do but managed to distract her. There's about 6 cushions on the sofa - should I remove them or would the change do more damage than good?? Any views appreciated??
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