Tips on How to handle Anxious MIP (Memory Impaired Person)

[ndeossa]

[QUOTE="My mother was temporarily prescribed a sleeping pill called Zopiclone which helped her get a restful sleep. The risk was when awoke and got up, she felt groggy and was more prone to falls. Luckily, we had a waking nightsitter who was there the instant she awoke so could assist her to the bathroom.

Keep asking questions here - between we've all be through ALL the scenarios so there are always options to try.

Moog x[/QUOTE]

Hi Moog,

Thank you letting me know about the side affects of the Lorezapam. If it makes them groggy and slow it is not a good thing, as you mentioned that is not the way you want to see a love one..But as you mentioned it should only be used in case of an emergency.. As for the Zopiclone, that is one of the medications my MIL is on. She seems a bit groggy but not terribly.

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am learning a lot from other members and appreciate this forum.

 

[ndeossa]

Don't forget - dehyrdration really exacerbates the symptoms of dementia. Still need to aim for 1.5 litres a day. When Mum is dehydrated she makes no sense and is very distressed. Get her to drink a 150mls of liquid fairly quickly soon brings her back again.

Excellent advice!! Will do that as well.. Thank you again Moog!!

 

[Nut]

Hi there ndeossa
My Mum also had terrible terrible anxiety. Looking back on her life I think she was always anxious, but the dementia peeled a layer off and it got worse with the fog of confusion and memory loss. What made a HUGE difference was Sertraline, started off on 50mg per day in the morning then 100mg. It alleviated the terrible driving anxiety and made life for her and everyone else much easier. I also found that getting her out in the morning, even for a short walk helped relax her physically and helped her sleep a little in the afternoon and cope with the end of day sundowning (not massively but a bit). Good luck!

 

[IAmNotANumber]

Hi IAmNotANumber,

Thank you so much for your response. I will look into this medication, since that is not one she is currently on.

Dear ndeossa, I just wanted to add that you should exercise extreme caution when administering Lorazepam. I have been on the phone so many times with Doctors and the out of hours services asking if I really should be administering this. The side effects of Lorazepam are that it can make the patient prone to falling. Since I am living with mum 24/7 I can keep an eye out at all times. A fall could cause even more complications, so I only use Lorazepam for emergency situations, when mum is so confused and anxious that she looks like she could pass out. Just sitting with her, reassuring her, and talking while the lorazepam takes effect usually relieves an awful situation. I find it strange that my mother is at this stage and she still has no official diagnosis of memory problems. She passed one memory test last year and as soon as the carer who gave the test left the house, my mother had forgotten she had even been tested and had no recollection of doing a test. That is how effective the memory tests are.

 

[shelmerdene]

MIL had many interest before Alzheimer's now while she is at home all she does is worried about everything; medication, the date, Christmas, cooking dinner (which she has not done in years), etc.

My husband and I are here from US trying to assess the situation and aid my FIL. We are thinking of getting her into some day care to alleviate the load from my FIL.

She has no interest in any activities, which means she needs constant attention at all times. We are uncertain how to relief her anxiety. Does anyone have any tips?

I read the article about "Compassionate Communication with the Memory Impaired" and shared it with my husband and in-laws, but still need to know if there are other things you do. I understand Alzheimer's is a very individual disease.

I have tried distracting her from the topic and stressing that she is in a safe place. My FIL just feels underappreciated and hurt to know that he has done so much for her yet she is still unhappy.

 

[shelmerdene]

Dear ndeossa
My Mother suffered from anxiety all her life, and it got much worse as Alzheimer's affected her. I'm not sure there is any one thing that helps, but what I did find was an approach that seemed to calm her. That was instead of going in with an agenda, what I need to get done, what she needs to do, etc, go in and put everything on hold. LISTEN, really take time to listen to her concerns and anxieties and, even if they are the same ones you have heard from her a million times, let her know that you have heard her. Then, when she's got it all off her chest, she sill be ready to listen to you and what you need her to do, or need to check like her medication, whether she's eaten, wants a cup of tea etc. It may seem counter intuitive at first, especially if you have a tight visit window, but I found that if I tried to take a short cut it often ended up being longer. I think Mum was so desperately trying to hold onto what she remembered she needed to say that until she had it all out she wasn't in a place to take anything else in. This got worse when she lost the ability to write lists, but even with the lists I found it was better to do those first and then work on what I needed her to do. Writing things that you have discussed down for her might also help. I wrote things in a diary for Mum which both she and any visitors could check. This was helpful not just for appointments, but also to remind her what doctors had said or what I had said which helped a little. Hope these ideas might be useful. Everyone is different, so its trial and error.

 

[shelmerdene]

Also, to echo Moog, toys are great. Apparently yellow is the last colour to go, so bright colours like yellow and soft fur are great. I also read to Mum and took her favourite foods, mostly easy to eat deserts. You can get or make twiddlemuffs which are great distractions as they keep the hands busy.