Rapidly deteriorating vascular dementia. Is this normal?

[Caroline00]

Hi
My 91 year old mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia after a stroke late August. She is being taken care of by full time carers at home. She cannot walk as her foot is twisted but is not incontinent. Healthwise she seems Ok and wants to eat endlessly ( she was never interested in food before).
After her stroke she was fairly rational though forgetful. Now she gets hysterical if she does not get her way, does not sleep well at night, is starting to use strange language eg ' needles' for keys, asks the same question and repeats herself endlessly and is completely exhausting and irrational.My mother is a completely different person. She cannot be left alone at all or she will try to stand and then falls.
Every day I see a decline mentally.
I thought that dementia progressed slower than this. How ' normal' is this decline? Thank you

 

[nae sporran]

Evening Caroline and welcome to TP.
Everyone is different, but my OH's vascular dementia has progressed more in stages triggered by a seizure or a mini-stroke. Is your mum on tablets for cholesterol or blood thinning following your stroke ? I'd speak to her GP if you have not done so or if you can.
The other thing which can cause sudden changes would be a UTI or bladder infection, have you had her urine tested?
Sorry, these are the best two suggestions I have.

 

[Tin]

Would say the same as nae sporran, but is it also possible that she is 'sundowning' Everything you are describing is typical dementia behaviour.

 

[Caroline00]

Evening Caroline and welcome to TP.
Everyone is different, but my OH's vascular dementia has progressed more in stages triggered by a seizure or a mini-stroke. Is your mum on tablets for cholesterol or blood thinning following your stroke ? I'd speak to her GP if you have not done so or if you can.
The other thing which can cause sudden changes would be a UTI or bladder infection, have you had her urine tested?
Sorry, these are the best two suggestions I have.

Thank you for your reply. My mum has low blood pressure and only takes aspirin to thin the blood.
She does not have a urine infection now.

 

[Caroline00]

Would say the same as nae sporran, but is it also possible that she is 'sundowning' Everything you are describing is typical dementia behaviour.

Thanks for your reply. It is true that she is worse in the evening but it is the speed of her daily decline which does not seem ' normal' though I have no experience. I would have expected more static periods then a decline.