Just been diagnosed with mixed Dementias

bigmama

Registered User
Mum has just been diagnosed with mixed Alzheimers and Vascular Dementia.
She has been having auditory hallucinations for a while now and the diagnosis came as a surprise.
I was expecting one but not a mixture.
Can folk help as far as advising me what to look for and anything else helpful.
Is the deterioration quicker than if you have one Dementia or not??

Jan
 

Bookworm

Registered User
Jan 30, 2009
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Co. Derry
Hello Jan - I'm going to dodge that last question - I guess we all have it - how long??? Unknown - vascular can mean mini strokes and that can worsen ability badly - but taking the meds will help prevent & any sign of mini stroke - make sure you know the signs & it is A/E well within 3 hours.....

What I want to ask is about your surprise - what did you think - just Alz Disease?
 

Bookworm

Registered User
Jan 30, 2009
2,580
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Co. Derry
So your surprise Jan - maybe is shock - maybe you feel it is worse than expected? Maybe you are saddened by how bad it seems? Your mum is the same today as yesterday or the day before diagnosis - these things are rarely sudden. You will have more happy times I hope. I can imagine you are crying - I would be - but sadly lost my mum many years ago - I have no idea how I would have felt in your shoes - probably devastated.

My thoughts will be focused on you tonight as you try to find some peace about this.

My sister is a "Jan", x
 

DeborahBlythe

Registered User
Dec 1, 2006
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Hello Jan, my mother was diagnosed with probable mixed dementia but not until the last year of her life.

The original diagnosis was probable Alzheimer's and then this was revised much much later on.

If she did indeed have mixed dementias, I don't think it shortened her life noticeably. She lived to be 94. :)

My mother had visual and auditory hallucinations from time to time. However, there were a number of factors which might have contributed to these. She was on a morphine-based painkilling patch for quite a long time amongst other medication, she had cataracts, she had hearing impairments in both ears.

I hope your mother is comfortable and you are not worrying too much. Please keep posting.
 

bigmama

Registered User
Mum is ok, has psychotic events and remembers them. It worries everyone at the time but we get over it.
She was unhappy that I had told her sister when she rang to ask about the diagnosis.
She doesnt talk about it and I dont know whether I should.
I am not sure how much she took in, as when the doctor told her what the dignosis was she was happy that he told her the voices might go!!
I am at odds as to say to her sometimes, how honest to be etc.
I have been going down the subtlety/ignorance line!
She has been told she cannot go home until an assessment has been carried out so is none too pleased at that.
 

DeborahBlythe

Registered User
Dec 1, 2006
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I am at odds as to say to her sometimes, how honest to be etc.
I have been going down the subtlety/ignorance line!
I think that approach is fair enough, I used to play things down rather, so as not to worry my mum about things we couldn't change. Changing the subject is also OK. Hope that your mum's assessment goes OK.