Deterioration query

[Glofaxi]

Hello. I’m a newbie to this site.
My mum is 93. Diagnosed with alz 3 1/2 yrs ago.
She lives at home with me and my Husband and two daughters who are at university. I have a care package of three hours a day weekdays and the carers just sit with her or take her to the library etc. She walks with a stick or rollator. Can manage to shower but can’t do much else.
She’s been getting on quite well with lots of support.
However the last two weeks have seen some noticeable changes. She’s very confused about her tv and programmes and remote. Thinks she can point to the paper to change channels. Can’t understand why a programme won’t play even if it’s a different day or time. And so on.
I got bloods done to check for infections but all ok. But there’s a definite change. Is this why:
My daughter was recently admitted as an emergency to hospital. She was very poorly but out now and recovering. My mother, who is a classic passive aggressive, immediately began to say she didn’t feel well either etc. She was attention seeking to the extreme. Went off her food. As if I
wasn’t worrying enough about my daughter.
The thing is, mum has definitely changed since the shock of it. Our dr said it can’t be the alz as it’s a steady decline and people don’t get worse in sudden steps like this.
What do people think? She’s 93 as I say. Lived with me for 28 years.

 

[Sam Luvit]

I don’t know why a doctor would say Alzheimer’s is a steady decline, it isn’t.

Mum stayed very much the same for about a year, then had a massive dip across the board, memory, mobility, getting out of a chair, temper, so many different things, I was told it was “just the Alzheimer’s” progression.

She’s had a very slow decline for another year, but in the last few months has forgotten she was a nurse, doesn’t know what Alzheimer’s is, getting more anxious & generally an overall decline which is now noticeable week to week by family who only see her for an hour or so once a week

So, I’d say it does have sudden dips, some are dramatic, others are not so much but across several areas

Don’t know if that helps at all, but didn’t want to read & run

 

[Duggies-girl]

Yes, my dad has definitely dropped a stage or two recently. He can no longer operate his tv remote like before and he can not even switch on his laptop, whereas a year ago he could still reply to emails. He can't drive anymore either but a year ago he was ok with driving.

 

[Kevinl]

Hi Glofaxi, welcome to TP
You've started a new thread and reactivated an old thread with the same question so you'll get replies on both. I and others have replied on the old thread below.
K
https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/threads/life-expectancy-of-someone-with-dementia.97184/page-3

 

[Big feet pete.]

Ime new to this But ive been with my wife for 25 years she is now 59 years old and has bad dementia for about 11years i am the only one thats been there for her every day learning new ways to cope every day but the best thing is we still laugth about things she can still come out with them sayings that she used to that made me laugth she is still the same person i loved back then but only love her even more so now she has spatial awarnes as well and some days it can make her totaly blind but other days she can see certain coulors and me so it must be horible for her some times but she has gone down hill a bit since the start she has had water infections so her dementia went 3 times worse and i fought that was it but she came back like so many other times she nows who i am still and my name so its not all one way slowly downward i never molly cuddled her just caried on doing what we both liked we would go out in a car in the early hours so i could watch out for owls she would sing to the radio word for word she would get realy alert after and things were good next week not so good as we hadent been doing that people used to think i was wrong and crhel taking her out like that but we do the same in the day sometimes falling asleep in car somewere nice with the sun on us through thewindow screen its shows if try and carry on like you havealways

 

[Glofaxi]

I don’t know why a doctor would say Alzheimer’s is a steady decline, it isn’t.

Mum stayed very much the same for about a year, then had a massive dip across the board, memory, mobility, getting out of a chair, temper, so many different things, I was told it was “just the Alzheimer’s” progression.

She’s had a very slow decline for another year, but in the last few months has forgotten she was a nurse, doesn’t know what Alzheimer’s is, getting more anxious & generally an overall decline which is now noticeable week to week by family who only see her for an hour or so once a week

So, I’d say it does have sudden dips, some are dramatic, others are not so much but across several areas

Don’t know if that helps at all, but didn’t want to read & run

Thank you

I don’t know why a doctor would say Alzheimer’s is a steady decline, it isn’t.

Mum stayed very much the same for about a year, then had a massive dip across the board, memory, mobility, getting out of a chair, temper, so many different things, I was told it was “just the Alzheimer’s” progression.

She’s had a very slow decline for another year, but in the last few months has forgotten she was a nurse, doesn’t know what Alzheimer’s is, getting more anxious & generally an overall decline which is now noticeable week to week by family who only see her for an hour or so once a week

So, I’d say it does have sudden dips, some are dramatic, others are not so much but across several areas

Don’t know if that helps at all, but didn’t want to read & run

Thank you Sam. That’s really helpful. I don’t think the dr quite knows what to say.
I read the stuff last night about the three stages and am now horrified about our potential future. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

 

[Glofaxi]

Thank you


Thank you Sam. That’s really helpful. I don’t think the dr quite knows what to say.
I read the stuff last night about the three stages and am now horrified about our potential future. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

 

[Sam Luvit]

Hi @Glofaxi

I missed that this was in the “Welcome”area, it would probably be a good idea to start your own thread in the main forum, as you will get more responses & you can get support as you go along this journey.

Try not to invite trouble you may not have. Not everyone follows the same path. Some stay early stages for a very long time, not everyone gets aggressive, some get more pleasant.

As your mum is 93 & was diagnosed 3.5 years ago, if she has other health issues, they may come into play before the Alzheimer’s gets too bad

If you use the “@“ sign, no space, then start typing a name, a drop down will appear to select from. It’s useful for “tagging”someone so they get a notification that you’ve posted.

Some people (like me) use a thread as a form of diary, or a safe place to moan, others use different threads to ask specific questions, with a title that gives a hint to the question. It’s up to you how you want to use it

 

[Glofaxi]

Hi @Glofaxi

I missed that this was in the “Welcome”area, it would probably be a good idea to start your own thread in the main forum, as you will get more responses & you can get support as you go along this journey.

Try not to invite trouble you may not have. Not everyone follows the same path. Some stay early stages for a very long time, not everyone gets aggressive, some get more pleasant.

As your mum is 93 & was diagnosed 3.5 years ago, if she has other health issues, they may come into play before the Alzheimer’s gets too bad

If you use the “@“ sign, no space, then start typing a name, a drop down will appear to select from. It’s useful for “tagging”someone so they get a notification that you’ve posted.

Some people (like me) use a thread as a form of diary, or a safe place to moan, others use different threads to ask specific questions, with a title that gives a hint to the question. It’s up to you how you want to use it

Thank you again, Sam. Much appreciated! X

 

[Sam Luvit]

Just found your thread, lol, so apologies for suggesting simething you’d already done

 

[Glofaxi]

Just found your thread, lol, so apologies for suggesting simething you’d already done

Just found your thread, lol, so apologies for suggesting simething you’d already done

No problem. I didn’t realise I’d done what you suggested either!!

 

[Glofaxi]

No problem. I didn’t realise I’d done what you suggested either!!