Mum's slipping backwards

Varilite

Registered User
Jan 26, 2015
9
0
Hi,
I don't want you to think I only come here when I need help; I do browse but you all offer such fantastic advice, I don't have anything to add.
Anyway. my Mum is now in a Care Home; she rallied amazingly after first going there...eating properly, joining in (a bit), generally caring about herself. After 18 months she seems to be going back to how she was in her own home; doesn't want to leave her room, doesn't want to eat. They are referring her to a dietician she's losing weight & medically she has sores on her legs as a result of fluid from having a bout of pneumonia at Christmas. She's no more confused than she has been, can still make up stories to hide the fact she's not eating! but seems to have just given up.The Home are fantastic at encouraging her & working with us to help, but does anybody have any experience of this sort of thing? Is it another stage? Any ideas gratefully accepted. Thanks for listening, it's nice to share with people who understand.
 

love.dad.but..

Registered User
Jan 16, 2014
4,962
0
Kent
Sometimes a pwd seems almost to improve for a time when they move into a care home because they are being well looked after...not suggesting you didn't. ...just that a 24 hour team can do so much more than one person. It sounds as though she has been quite unwell recently and the sores must be a concern and that can take its toll on someone especially with dementia as well but it seems the home are being very proactive referring her and encouraging her to eat. Are they trying different types of foods that may be appealing? It maybe is that she remained stable but is now starting to decline and entering another phase of the illness. My dad's mental decline always seemed more advanced than his physical decline but eventually they met and perhaps that is now what you are seeing.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Im afraid that dementia is progressive, so although being in a care home will often improve symptoms, eventually it will progress. Mum was in a care home for 3 years and for the first 2 she improved considerable and had 2 very good years. The last year, unfortunately she had a series of health problems - pneumonia, a stroke, numerous UTIs and oral thrush and she just went steadily down hill. I felt she was just entering the last stage of dementia - though she didnt enter end stage for another 12 months.
 

Varilite

Registered User
Jan 26, 2015
9
0
Thanks for your comments. It appears now the sores are healing well but a UTI remains. Mum's way more confused than before, shouting at people (new) & not wanting to eat & drink. Can't even get meaningful amounts of soluble painkillers down her. The Home, bless them, are doing their best & hopefully things will improve when UTI goes, but I'm thinking we're approaching the final stages. If so, she's done pretty well in the last 18 months...just have to wait & see.
 

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