Dad is suddenly coherent! Can people recover from dementia?

[hugbear]

Dad is suddenly coherent.

My elderly dog was a Pets As Therapy dog in a Care home specialising in EMI care. A lady there never used to speak to anyone, until that is one day she decided to talk to me dog. Her Husband was so happy when he came in to visit. Sadly my dog's Arthritis meant I had to retire him, but I have seen this happen many times with him. xx

 

[lisa_m]

Duffer, any more news?

As to your question 'can people recover from dementia'... I absolutely don't know, the majority of people would say no and I imagine all scientists, doctors etc would say no. But I tend to think anything is possible. So many amazing things happen every day, things that were once 'impossible' have now been discovered to be possible. The truth is we don't know, but if you can think it, and dream it, why can't it be possible? I think it is. Whether it's what's happening with your dad I don't know.

I'm hoping that the antibiotics have cleared up something you were unaware of, and that the infection was worsening his symptoms.

Please keep us updated. I truly hope he remains at this new level, but if not I'm sure you can continue to love and treasure your dad and I hope that he is comfortable and content in his home despite his dementia.

 

[jigs]

My mother was also more with it yesterday and today, a slight move towards her "normal self" As I drove home this evening I noticed that it was a full moon could this be connected. I remember reading long ago about the pull of the moon affecting the tides and our moods. Does anyone have any info about this in relation to dementia?

At my carehome the staff all quake at the new moon. It's well known amongst carers that it can create havoc!

 

[garnuft]

At my carehome the staff all quake at the new moon. It's well known amongst carers that it can create havoc!

I despair.

 

[jigs]

Truly a difficult question and I suppose we all know the answer but I wrote a post on Alzheimer's Speaks last year called "re-wiring" and I know from experience with my mum who has Vascular and Alzheimer's that she can achieve some new memories. Most are associated with extreme emotions i.e. a fall, my brother having cancer; an exciting event such as a dance with someone or her very own art exhibition. These new memories have stayed with her for a long time. At her carehome the staff are excellent and they give her independance combined with an empathy and compassion. Mum even remembers some of their names. I think that being able to relax with dementia promotes a well being and we all know we remember better when we are less stressed.

 

[anis]

Dad with Dementia suddenly coherent

Our stories sound so similar that I needed to reply in order to compare what we are going through. My dad had a small hemorrage and multiple brain infarcts which affected him from one day to the other. He did not know where he was, who he was, forgot to eat, could no longer walk or go to bath. Suddenly, after 4 months in a home, he remembers how to go to bath, walk, remembers his home and car. He is requesting to go back to "see" his home and I am totally shaken with worry. He does not realize he is in a home but does know THAT is not where he would like to be. I have not had the courage to give him explanations for I am not sure how much he will understand what I tell him nor do I know HOW much of what has happened to him I should tell him. Any encouraging news you can share with me???? My dad has no option but to be kept in the home for there are not too many of us available to care for him and I personally have my hands full with my own family. Please help!!!

My dad was in hospital for 2 months and has been in his carehome for a 3 months. He was doubly incontinent, couldn't formulate a sentence, didn't know who we were or where he was or what was going on around him.
I managed to get him into a carehome close to where my daughter and I live and we have been visiting regularly since he has been in the home.
I was stunned today when I visited - I expected him to be as he has been for the past 5 months but when I got there today he knew exactly who I was, started asking what had been happening to him and how it had come about that he was in a home. He asked if he was ever going to be able to go home. He even asked why he was in that particular type of home (alzheimers) rathe rthan just a normal residential home. I explained to him that he had been needing 24/7 care in every aspect.
Am I being overly optimistic in hoping that dad's recovery will continue? I am so afraid that the next time I visit he may be back the way he was. Can people recover from dementia?

 

[stanleypj]

So the new moon is responsible for creating havoc for some people with dementia and improving the symptoms of the disease for others????????

 

[Sueleivers]

Miracle OR Misdiagnosis

Sadly my Husband went through this last May And I asked the Question Above !! On this Forum. TO my horror his Daughters began to believe HE was to good to be in the N/h and without MY consent removed him from the Home in Oct last year to their home.Some 100 + miles away,saying I had incarcerated him, locked him up like an animal etc !! I had visited and taken him out Daily in a bid to improve his Quality of life.

During the first 10 days of removing him they got him to file for Divorce Change his Will and put a Severance Order on our Home PLUS they have had his Pensions paid into their Bank Account!!! He had 2 more Strokes during that time and is now back in the N/h where they removed him from. I considered him to be. a vunerable Adult and reported them to the Adult safeguarding team who helped to return him back home It has broken MY heart and cost me over 3k to fight the fight and prove With Front Lobel Vascular Dementia there is no cure!, !!
I have still not overturned their Actions and they have only visited Twice since Pre Xmas. he is now a shadow of himself ! Having lost 20 kilos. My advice to you for what it is worth ----- Would be to Enjoy this Lucid moment for as long as it lasts!! I did !!! and it felt like quality time for the Both of US. He is 80yrs old Dare I hope for another Miracle ?????( Sorry for the Rant) Please Enjoy the Gift

 

[stanleypj]

What a dreadful experience! My heart goes out to you.

At least he is back where you know he should be. Maybe you will see another improvement once he is really settled.

Have you been able to get any legal advice about his daughters' actions?

 

[USA Caregiver]

It could be he was clearing drugs from his body, and these clouded his mind. I would do everything possible to encourge his continued recovery. My mother has had several of these bouncebacks, and typically her decline into dementia or even delusions and hallucinations...was caused by either infection delirium or more than likely, drug side effects. The drugs may work for awhile, then residue builds up and the drugs will cause dementia, personality disorders, combativeness and agitation, muscle spasms, etc.

Look up Beers Criteria (revised last year) or the STOPP and START protocols for help identifying harmful drugs and how to wean off them. Good luck, How thrilling. Just have had improvement with mom as she came off another drug.

 

[KentJude]

similar if less extreme experience - AD

Hi I've had a few experiences with my mum who's last stage AD, I posted in November about improvement after loss of consciousness during a seizure, it was temporary as I expected it to be, a few days. Btw we had no diagnosis of the episode in Nov from hospital docs but exactly the same thing happened last week and epilepsy was diagnosed due to AD and Keppra was prescribed. She hasn't had any strokes.

As I posted in Nov I realise it's not a permanent miraculous reversal but surely if it's so common, the neurological processes must be worth investigating. The findings of any study into the phenomenon may be an important piece of of the dementia jigsaw. In Nov I posted on the research forum but no researchers replied. I like the analogy of the radiogram and rewiring, I felt mum had been switched back on, albeit only partly.

 

[garnuft]

I hope this thread dilutes the nonsense that the Internet bursts with.

Just in case it doesn't I am going to state my case,
pure and simple.
Attack all you like.

The Moon is full of Balloons,
if you glance at it, you will be captured by the Balloon Witch.
She will turn you into a sausage dog.

We all know this.

 

[Terry big]

I am very sorry to say that there is no cure for Alzheimers.

My dad was in hospital for 2 months and has been in his carehome for a 3 months. He was doubly incontinent, couldn't formulate a sentence, didn't know who we were or where he was or what was going on around him.
I managed to get him into a carehome close to where my daughter and I live and we have been visiting regularly since he has been in the home.
I was stunned today when I visited - I expected him to be as he has been for the past 5 months but when I got there today he knew exactly who I was, started asking what had been happening to him and how it had come about that he was in a home. He asked if he was ever going to be able to go home. He even asked why he was in that particular type of home (alzheimer's) rathe rthan just a normal residential home. I explained to him that he had been needing 24/7 care in every aspect.
Am I being overly optimistic in hoping that dad's recovery will continue? I am so afraid that the next time I visit he may be back the way he was. Can people recover from dementia?

Sorry there is no cure for Alzheimer's. My wife as had this for ten years now. She is totally bed bound and incontinent and can not see any more. I am told that the last thing to go will be here hearing. I feed here and liquidize all here food for here because she can not chew food any more.

 

[stanleypj]

I would guess that almost everyone contributing to or reading this thread knows that there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's.

It is still understandable that when carers see some improvement in the person they are caring for they would like to be able to find some kind of explanation. The more dramatic the improvement, the more they are bound to wonder what is going on.

What they probably don't need is people telling them over and over that there is no cure.

 

[garnuft]

Hello Terry,

Love and strength to you and your Darling Wife from me and mine here in the North East of England.

Gwen XXX

 

[Saffie]

Duffer, forgive me but I don't know if you have said elsewhere what sort of dementia your father is suffering from or whether he has had a scan. If it is vascular, is it possible that your father suffered a stroke of some sort because that would explain his improvement wouldn't it? People can improve after a stroke. If not, then I'm afraid i am as much at a loss as you are. It is sad that he gets frightened though - that is the downside of the periods of clarity.

Oddly enough, my husband was the most alert he has been for ages this afternoon and apparantly had been so all day. He didn't sleep at all whilst I was there when usually he is fast asleep for most of my visits and his mood seemed quite buoyant. Speech was still very mixed up but he drank his tea himself and ate his biscuits. He was also quite happy to see me leave.

i must see if there is a new moon tonight .

 

[Duffer]

IHi Fiona
I have sent off an enquiry to the University. I genuinely believe that there is something in what my dad is saying. I know I may sound like a crank but I believe that something stopped my dad's brain working properly 6 months ago. When I visited him in the CH he would often hold his head as though he had a pain in his head. What if the blood vessels were blocked and got re-routed round the blockage - maybe that could account for the feeling of 'being split in two'. Whos to say they didn't join up again allowing him to become lucid again.
I don't know - I am just glad he's back!

Hiya Duffer,

What an amazing time for you all and it has been interesting to hear you're dad's insight too. Obviously the longer this goes on the more interested the professionals will become. I am not sure if you are aware but there is a large dementia research centre at the University of Stirling, maybe they would be interested in what is happening, especially if things continue to improve. Here is their website http://dementia.stir.ac.uk/.

I was interested in your dad saying it was like there was another version of him around as it gives another level of understanding, particularly as a psychiatrist had described dementia in a different way to us. He said to think about an old radiogram with a tuning dial. He said the brain can be damaged in different ways dependent upon what type of dementia that you have. So, back to the tuner, you turn the dial and all you hear is static, sometimes really bad.static, nothing is going to get through no matter what you try. These represent the bad days where it is difficult to communicate, practically no cognitive function. The tuning dial continues moving along and very occasionally you might pick up a hint of a feint radio station, difficult to hear it but you know it is there. These are thos little lucid moments when you get reminded that the person you know is still in there. Then as you move on you're back into the static again, bad day maybe, maybe you are sundowning. Then one day you arrive at RADIO 2 FM station (his choice not mine! LOL). Lots more clarity today. Big change. Everything seems clear and the person is alert and responsive. Does continue as there is more fine tuning improvements continue to be noticed and you can hang around RADIO 2 for a while and still hear it properly although the quality of the reception changes as you move away. Eventually though you start to hearthe crackle of the static coming back again. Things start to become more confused again, but you do have your odd lucid moments and occasionally you find you have reached RADIO 1 or Classic FM.

I can see how your dad's explanation could easily tie in with the psychiatrist's account. I am also interested in the infection scenario too and it will be interesting to find out if anyone sheds any light on this aspect too for you.

All very intriguing isn't it. Whatever is allowing this to happen I do hope your dad continues to improve and that perhaps this might be a very rare case of it not having been dementia at all but some sort of brain injury that can heal or improve over time.

Fiona

 

[Duffer]

Dad was very similar before he was taken into hospital. His carers found him downstairs 2 morning running and we think it was becasue he had forgotten how to use his stairlift.
When I realised dad was lucid 2 weeks ago I was terrified what he would think when I had cleared his possessions, sold his house and put him into a home!
I had no idea how to broach the subject! He got one of the carers to phone me at work to ask me to get a dressing gown out of the drawer under his bed and bring it in to him. A bit late as I had cleared his house out 3 months previously!
It was actually when I was explaining to him why I had bought him a new dressing gown that I broached the subject of the house. As gently as I could I explained to him how ill he had been and why I had made the decision to find him somewhere where he could be looked after properly. Even though I knew I had been making all the decisions in dads best interests I was still racked with guilt that I was a 'bad' daughter. I couldn't look after him at home, not just because I work full time but also because I know I could not deal with the level of his needs.
Thankfully dad understood the reasons for all the things I had done for him and was happy with where he was. The relief I felt was amazing - I felt that a weight had been lifted! The only thing that he was concerned about was whether I had fallen out with my sister because I was using our 'inheritance' to fund his care. Thankfully dad had given me LPA two years previously so I didn't have to check with my sister before I made the decisions and if she had a problem with it then that was her problem.
I can imagine how you're feeling as I dreaded the conversation that i knew I had to have. i hope that your situation turns out as well as mine has done - if you need to talk or needs some support please feel free to pm me whenever you need.

Our stories sound so similar that I needed to reply in order to compare what we are going through. My dad had a small hemorrage and multiple brain infarcts which affected him from one day to the other. He did not know where he was, who he was, forgot to eat, could no longer walk or go to bath. Suddenly, after 4 months in a home, he remembers how to go to bath, walk, remembers his home and car. He is requesting to go back to "see" his home and I am totally shaken with worry. He does not realize he is in a home but does know THAT is not where he would like to be. I have not had the courage to give him explanations for I am not sure how much he will understand what I tell him nor do I know HOW much of what has happened to him I should tell him. Any encouraging news you can share with me???? My dad has no option but to be kept in the home for there are not too many of us available to care for him and I personally have my hands full with my own family. Please help!!!

 

[Duffer]

Hi Saffie
The doctors believe dad had Vascular Dementia. He had some scans when he was in the hospital and they showed that there had been some damage to his brain which they put down to a stroke. He has suffered with vascular problems in his legs which also may account for the diagnosis.
Dad explained how he had felt that he was 'coming back' and told me how he felt when he opened the wardrobe in the CH and found his clothes there with no idea how he had got there or even where he was. He retains the awareness that he has chunks of memory missing and it's knowing that that he finds frightening because he is aware of it.
Who knows what the future holds - I am going to cherish having him back and take each day at a time.

Duffer, forgive me but I don't know if you have said elsewhere what sort of dementia your father is suffering from or whether he has had a scan. If it is vascular, is it possible that your father suffered a stroke of some sort because that would explain his improvement wouldn't it? People can improve after a stroke. If not, then I'm afraid i am as much at a loss as you are. It is sad that he gets frightened though - that is the downside of the periods of clarity.

Oddly enough, my husband was the most alert he has been for ages this afternoon and apparantly had been so all day. He didn't sleep at all whilst I was there when usually he is fast asleep for most of my visits and his mood seemed quite buoyant. Speech was still very mixed up but he drank his tea himself and ate his biscuits. He was also quite happy to see me leave.

i must see if there is a new moon tonight .

 

[Anongirl]

Hi Duffer. I'm really interested in finding out where your enquiries lead. You don't sound like a crank at all. We all know our loved ones better than anyone.

After my mum's haemorrhagic stroke I watched her sleep every day (my opinion is that her brain shut down so it could recover). I watched her struggle and hallucinate and slowly recover the use of her left side. Then over several months she started to make sense of the world around her again. I saw her go through a type of dementia state but slowly watched her brain recover. On the day after she was discharged she got on a bus and went shopping on her own. I never imagined I would see that.

She has managed living her life completely independantly since then. That was 8 years ago. I think now though the damage that stroke did is now rearing its head again but it DID recover from a huge trauma against all the odds.

The brain is an amazing organ. I doubt even experts know everything it is capable of. I believe what you say is totally feasible.

Keep posting and big hugs to you X