Delusions....

[Fiona P]

I hope everyone had a peaceful christmas.... Ours was pretty relaxed, very low key and unfussy.... Nice simple treats which dad, 79 with dementia, a seemed to enjoy.

Dad has had two blocks of respite since september , now, at home at evening time he wants his other house, to go home, to go to his wife( she is 80 and in same bed as him when this takes place)

I witnessed this myself last night, nothing would calm him....
Has he taken a dip? Has respite caused further confusion? More guilt

Doctor at mental clinic has prescribed memmantine , again! He had this last christmas which didn't suit. He was taken off last January I'm confused as to why it is prescribed again... Mum, 80, looked confused when I queried, has he now entered a different phase of the illness ?

Best wishes for 2015, let love support us all

 

[marionq]

There are other medications for anxiety so if it doesn't suit get right back to GP.

 

[Ann Mac]

Hi Fiona,

The constant asking to 'Go home' is something that seems to be a big part of 'sundowning' - a period in the day, usually (but not always) around late afternoon/evening, where the person with dementia becomes very agitated and often fixed on this particular obsession. It doesn't matter if the person has lived in the same house for most of their life, they can and will still want 'home'. I've seen a lot of posts where its felt that by 'home' the person isn't so much asking/wanting a physical place, but rather that 'home' means a place or time in their lives, where they didn't feel confused, when they were content and felt in control, and somehow, in the 'dementia' mind, this translates into 'home'. Understandable, of course, but so hard to witness and deal with. As you have said, when its at its worse, it can be impossible to calm the person, or sway them from the determination to 'go home'.

Mil suffers from this badly, though the effects and intensity of it have been lessened by a combination of medications - however, we still get bad episodes, a couple of times a week, and she is always much worse if over-tired, if her routine is disrupted or if she has an infection - unfortunately, all those things are often completely unavoidable.

Please speak to his GP and see what can be reccommended - memantine has helped with Mil, as has respiredone, and their are other medications out there that can also help - its just finding hopefully, the right one.

I hope you can get some help with this - I do know how exhausting and distressing it is to deal with xxx

 

[Fiona P]

Mum queried the mementine which I said he was on last christmas... I was correct when the dementia clinic called the chemist to check, the chemist had not gone back far enough in their records - It was only in my memory because we started it christmas day last year - explaining 5 mg 10 mg and so on to mum about doses.

He has been aggitated over the holiday - the tiredness and out of routine suggestion perfect sense.

I pop into mum everyday - she looked very tired yesterday - no sleep at all - she now hides the key to front door - just incase - he broke a glass and a lamp in the night so glass everywhere.

Going up to mum now for a visit - see how the land lies - my 6 year old gives her a great distraction and sense of fun so that is a good distraction