After 18 months or longer of watching my mums mental and physical health go down the pan it has suddenly hit me that her "apethetic" approach to her health and the effect it is having on the people around her may infact be due to undiagnosed dementia.
My dad passed away early in the year forcing me to spend much more time around my mum , more than I have done since I moved out of my parents home. I have always thought my mum could be a bit scatty but these last few months have drove me up the wall. She has not been eating properly and is now 7 stone in weight , seems to be unaware of what is going on in her own life or what day it is at times and her home and physical hygeine have left a lot to be desired ,along with a list of other things : Seeing things that are not there , mood swings to the point where good friends of hers have thought she has fallen out with them, forgetting her pin number...I could go on.
I have spoken to her numerous times about some of these things and she has been to her GP this last year more than she probably has in her life.."I think i am depressed" was one of her self diagnosis and the GP agreed and gave her tablets that she forgot to take and never went back for a new dose. " I think I have just given up" was another. I had tried the soft approach but as soon as I went home ( I do not live close) I was getting reports that she was going the shop in an unfit state. Once again I went down for a week - she seemed great , her eating was brilliant I made her bathe and I cut her toenails etc and it seemed like my mum was back ! - I left and came home and on phoning her the next day once again she seemed confused and distant and I hate to admit that I had quite a sharp tongue on me thinking "snap out of this woman how dare you give up again the moment I turn my back ! " ( i asked her to move in when my dad died by the way but she has so far refused)
I do not know why it dawned on me but from nowhere BAM! - maybe when I am there it reminds her of when I lived there and gives her more reasoning!
Anyway I have booked an appointment AGAIN with her GP for next week so pleaseee keep your fingers crossed for me . I would not wish dementia on her or anyone but it all seems to fit and at least if it is dementia we can seek out help rather than me thinking she just does not care what her actions are doing to not only her but the rest of us.
Sorry to go on but it is good to get it off my chest.
My dad passed away early in the year forcing me to spend much more time around my mum , more than I have done since I moved out of my parents home. I have always thought my mum could be a bit scatty but these last few months have drove me up the wall. She has not been eating properly and is now 7 stone in weight , seems to be unaware of what is going on in her own life or what day it is at times and her home and physical hygeine have left a lot to be desired ,along with a list of other things : Seeing things that are not there , mood swings to the point where good friends of hers have thought she has fallen out with them, forgetting her pin number...I could go on.
I have spoken to her numerous times about some of these things and she has been to her GP this last year more than she probably has in her life.."I think i am depressed" was one of her self diagnosis and the GP agreed and gave her tablets that she forgot to take and never went back for a new dose. " I think I have just given up" was another. I had tried the soft approach but as soon as I went home ( I do not live close) I was getting reports that she was going the shop in an unfit state. Once again I went down for a week - she seemed great , her eating was brilliant I made her bathe and I cut her toenails etc and it seemed like my mum was back ! - I left and came home and on phoning her the next day once again she seemed confused and distant and I hate to admit that I had quite a sharp tongue on me thinking "snap out of this woman how dare you give up again the moment I turn my back ! " ( i asked her to move in when my dad died by the way but she has so far refused)
I do not know why it dawned on me but from nowhere BAM! - maybe when I am there it reminds her of when I lived there and gives her more reasoning!
Anyway I have booked an appointment AGAIN with her GP for next week so pleaseee keep your fingers crossed for me . I would not wish dementia on her or anyone but it all seems to fit and at least if it is dementia we can seek out help rather than me thinking she just does not care what her actions are doing to not only her but the rest of us.
Sorry to go on but it is good to get it off my chest.
