Hi
I'm looking for any support or advice if possible.
My Mum is 73 and 3 years ago this August she suffered 2 ruptured brain annuerysms which were succesfully clipped, then hydrocephalus for which she now has a VP shunt.
She moved into a neurological care home 18 months ago and at the time was walking with a frame and we were getting her in and out the car for short trips. In between then and now she has had a decline both mentally and physically. Recently shes developed Epilepsy (she started having seizures where it looked a faint but would involve nausea, and temporary facial drooping) she's now taking Keppra, and we've now been informed she has dementia too.
Her decline has been quite dramatic the last few months, she spends all her time awake in a wheelchair with 3 hours of physio per week, unable to do hydrotherapy now because of risks. She is hoisted into the bathroom as she has very little body strength to allow for rotunda transfer or frame etc and has 2 carers to wash her, she's double incontinent and struggles to drink from a cup so is given a straw. Food wise she has little appetite and will use her hands to feed herself and will occasionally use cutlery. She looses focus very easily and is very tired (not sure if this is the side effects of Keppra)
The brain injury has very similar symptoms to dementia but its her decline from her baseline that has now prompted the medics to diagnose dementia.
The brain injury caused a lot of short term memory loss, however they staff have now noticed that her long term memory has also started to become affected.
I am looking for any help, support or information from anyone who can offer it, especially people in a similar unfortunate situation.
It is absolutely heartbreaking seeing my Mum decline so fast, it feels like she's slipping away and I want it to slow down.
Thank you for reading
I'm looking for any support or advice if possible.
My Mum is 73 and 3 years ago this August she suffered 2 ruptured brain annuerysms which were succesfully clipped, then hydrocephalus for which she now has a VP shunt.
She moved into a neurological care home 18 months ago and at the time was walking with a frame and we were getting her in and out the car for short trips. In between then and now she has had a decline both mentally and physically. Recently shes developed Epilepsy (she started having seizures where it looked a faint but would involve nausea, and temporary facial drooping) she's now taking Keppra, and we've now been informed she has dementia too.
Her decline has been quite dramatic the last few months, she spends all her time awake in a wheelchair with 3 hours of physio per week, unable to do hydrotherapy now because of risks. She is hoisted into the bathroom as she has very little body strength to allow for rotunda transfer or frame etc and has 2 carers to wash her, she's double incontinent and struggles to drink from a cup so is given a straw. Food wise she has little appetite and will use her hands to feed herself and will occasionally use cutlery. She looses focus very easily and is very tired (not sure if this is the side effects of Keppra)
The brain injury has very similar symptoms to dementia but its her decline from her baseline that has now prompted the medics to diagnose dementia.
The brain injury caused a lot of short term memory loss, however they staff have now noticed that her long term memory has also started to become affected.
I am looking for any help, support or information from anyone who can offer it, especially people in a similar unfortunate situation.
It is absolutely heartbreaking seeing my Mum decline so fast, it feels like she's slipping away and I want it to slow down.
Thank you for reading