Gran's condition getting worse

[kirstyor]

I'm 19 and live with my parents, brother and gran. My gran's lived with us for 30+ years and has always been a second mum to me, for a long time I spent a lot more time with her than my mum really. She's 87 now and in the last few months her memory has very suddenly gotten worse, as well as confusion. She hasn't been diagnosed but we've all accepted this as dementia due to how sudden and how much of a decline it was.
In the last couple of weeks it's gotten worse, and she's very aware of it, often saying how lost and frustrated she feels. I'm just wondering how I should handle this? What do I tell her?
She's still very independent and does the entire house's washing up and laundry (which she's always done), so hopefully she's not feeling useless, but I just don't know how I can help with the general feeling of being lost that is making her increasingly anxious.

(Sorry for the life story, this is the first time I'm not denying the problem and it's still all a bit difficult for me to think about)

 

[copsham]

Hello KirstyOr
Welcome to Talking Point

On reading your post the first thought that come to me is has your Grandmother been checked to see if she has a urinary infection? It is amazing how this can really give dementia like symptoms to a person without dementia or make existing dementia worse.

Another thought is the book by Oliver James on compassionate communication on amazon - a book that is especailly relevant in the early stages.

Good luck and keep posting.

 

[BR_ANA]

Link to topic about compassionated http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showpost.php?p=413710

I would talk to GP because memory lost and confusion can be something as UTI.

 

[kirstyor]

Thanks for the book recommendation, I'll have to get that.
I've asked her and she said she hasn't, but she is going to the doctors and giving in a sample as a routine check up so if there's anything there it might get sorted then.
Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[gerry200]

Hi Kirstyor

I have no suggestions to add for you apart from continue to be the very kind and empathic person that you so obviously are. This must be very distressing for you but you are doing the best thing by looking for information to help your Gran. There are lots of things out there to help with memory loss and I'm sure you'll find stuff that will help her.

Take care.

Gerry

 

[copsham]

Hi Kirstyor again,

"I've asked her and she said she hasn't (got s UTI) , but she is going to the doctors and giving in a sample as a routine check up so if there's anything there it might get sorted then"


When my mum has a urine infection she has no symptoms at all but she improves immensely if a UTI is shown in the sample and she has a course of antibiotics. If my mother has an infection I have to push for this to be treated with urgency so do keep a check on the situation rather than it getting worse. Good luck!

 

[Nebiroth]

It's important to have your gran have a full healthcheck, because whilst the most common cause for dementia-like symptoms in someone elderly is dementia (usually Alzheimer's or vascular dementia) there are some conditions that will mimic the symptoms, such as a thyroid deficiency. These can normally be treated simply and effectively (thyroid deficiency can be reversed by taking artificial thyroxin tablets). The doctor can arrange for tests (such as a blood test) that will eliminate these as possibilities.

There is no definitive physical test for Alzheimer's or vascular disease although brain scan may be helpful. Diagnosis is usually made on the basis of presentation and history with other possibilities eliminated as above.

A very rapid decline is not typical of Alzheimer's although it is not impossible. Alzheimer's is usually marked by a relatively slow and steady decline (over several years). Early onset is a more aggressive form, but as the name suggests appears at unusually early ages. Vascular disease is more typified by sudden declines (which can be severe) with periods of relative stability between them. However, some people get both forms together, which is called "mixed"

The other diseases that cuase dementia are much rarer and usually manifest other symptoms that mark them out (Lewy Body for example, being accompanied by Parkinsons-like symptoms)

It is quite unusual for someone with dementia to actually be aware of their symptoms. It;s not impossible, but it would makr your gran as being a bit atypical. I'd say that makes it even mor eimportant for her to have a full health check to identify what is actually going on.

If she has an ongoing UTI or other health problem then this may have exposed an underlying dementia that would at present not be giving rise to supiscious symptoms. UTI's are notorious for their devastatting effect on someone with dementia, and can even produce dementia-like symptoms in someone elderly who hasn't actually got dementia. A UTI can be otherwise "silent" in that it does not produce the warning signs like urinary frequency, burning sensations or foul-smelling urine that most people are aware of.

UTI's are much more common in women than men (due to anatomical arrangements) and more common still in elderly women. They can be chronic (ie go on for a long time) as the immune system keeps them in check but does not actually clear them completely (as would happen in a young person). Cranberry can help - the juice or extract tablets are both good for this.