My mother is almost 94 and in a care home. She has Vascular dementia, she has had it for 3 years, but seems to have deteriorated rapidly over last 12 months, she has now taken to her bed and will only get out to go to the loo. The carers try to encourage her and so do I but she won't budge.
Please help.
No-one will probably say because it can be difficult to 'stage' individuals. Vascular Dementia sufferers experience different symptoms earlier and not everyone goes through them at the same rate. Sometimes they 'straddle' different stages.
Actually personally I haven't found 'staging my mother to be particularly helpful. When I read that end stage is when they are nearing death and then subdivide stage 7 into stages a-f, each of which can last between a year to 18 months, that is not what I would class as 'near death'.
My mother, also with Vascular dementia, has been unable to weight-bear or walk at all for over 4 years now. She stopped talking over 3 years ago and spends most of her days staring at the ceiling or into space. Earlier on at the beginning of the year she didn't even do that and was either sleeping or kept her eyes closed.
Sounds as if your mother is still 'functioning' quite well, but just doesn't want to interact any more with a world which seems to make little sense.
I'd suggest that if she's still aware enough of a need to go to the loo, remembers where it is and what to do when she gets there, does suggest she's somewhere around early mid stage.
