Hi everyone - new member

syreeta

Registered User
Jun 4, 2008
7
0
swansea
Hi I have just joined due to my grandmother who is 78 has been diagnosed with alzheimers, 2 years ago. She still lives on her own but I am not sure for how much longer. It's so sad to see her health decline she used to be a manager in a bakery but now she cannot count money etc. She went to the hairdressers across the road from her last week, it was the third attempt as she kept getting the times and date of the appointment wrong, she said it cost £1.50.
A few weeks ago my mother did her daily visit and there was a salesman there tring to sell her a v. expensive bed, she lives in a complex so she must have asked him to come there as nobody can just walk in. Yesterday we realised she had taken 2 lots of tablets in 1 go (18 tablets)which meant phoning the docs to see if it was dangerous.

Sorry I could go on and on but I realise that I am lucky that at least she knows us and has a sense of humour.

One thing I noticed in the last 2 weeks is that she is sleeping a lot, I thought it might be the tramadol she is taking for pain making her a bit spaced out and sleepy but when my mum looked she hasn't taken any painkillers for weeks. She will look into thin air and where as she used to be talkative, I have to start a conversation. Has anyone experienced this sleepiness, is it'normal'?

Many thanks and I look forward to being a regular on this wonderful site.
Syreeta:)
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
Hello syreeta

It sounds to me as if your grandmother is becoming more and more vulnerable. The complex she lives in is not really giving her the protection she needs.

Does she have carers coming in? You have not said whether she relies on help from the family or has care from Social Services. [SS]. She does need help to monitor her medication.

The increase in her sleeping could be from incorrect doses of her medication, it could be from boredom, it could be from a deterioration in her condition. Only her doctor will know. Perhaps she nees an appointment with her doctor for a check up.

Please post an update.

Love xx
 

Lynne

Registered User
Jun 3, 2005
3,433
0
Suffolk,England
Hi Syreeta (lovely name)

Syreeta said:
She will look into thin air and whereas she used to be talkative, I have to start a conversation. Has anyone experienced this sleepiness, is it 'normal'?

My own Mum is like this now (2 years since diagnosis, aged 89, my estimate 4 years since onset) & she's not taking any sort of sedative or strong painkiller. Lately, she would stay in bed all day if I let her, but I don't! My reasoning is 'use it or lose it' and that she will lose the ability to walk if I don't encourage/make her. Also if she sleeps all day, she loses all sense of whether it's day or night, so wanders in & out of my room in the night! I'm used to sleeping 'with 1 ear open' but I do need some sleep.
She's just had a broad sweep of blood tests but the only thing they flagged up was slight anaemia, for which she has been prescribed iron tablets.

:( I'm afraid I have begun to accept that, in the words of 2 of the doctors we've seen recently, "this is to be expected". If I'm honest, it (the staring into space thing) doesn't seem to upset Mum as much as it does me, so I must be thankful for that.
 
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Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
She will look into thin air and where as she used to be talkative, I have to start a conversation. Has anyone experienced this sleepiness, is it'normal'?

My mother does that look into thin air . I use to wave my hand in front of her asking her what she thinking ? she just say Nothing .

So like you I found that I had to start a conversation with her other wise she just fad into sleep after looking into thin for a long while

My mother motorvation just seem to fad away in to sleep , so I had to organise day centre for her , because even with me trying to keep her entertained with games cards music , she tell me Leave me alone I just want to sleep, can I please sleep in my bed .

When it frist strated to happen doctor try mum on ant depression talbets , but they never help with her sleeping druing the day . Then she stop ant depression was put on late stages of medcation for AZ . I would say it hlep in the frist 2 years of taking it , out of 6 years , but after 2 years mum was back to sleeping druing the day so that why needed to get the help of day center , other wise she sleep all day .

Now mum will sleep all day all night, if she had her own way , only waking for food at odd hours . Mum live with me & that just to hard for me to see her wanting to sleep all the time , but she still in the stage that day center can still motorvate her .

When the day come she tell me that she does not want to go out to day centre or when I find she finding it all to much a chanllage , then it all stop, if you undertand what I mean .

PS

Read this , if may be of some help

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=114Motivation

Moving towards the division between the two hemispheres, the middle portion of the frontal lobe generates our motivation and general impetus. If this part of the brain is affected, people can lose their 'get-up-and-go', becoming lethargic and reluctant to get out of bed or perform a particular activity. Again, it is important to realise that what might be perceived as laziness by some could be a direct consequence of the loss of cells in this area of the brain.
 
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syreeta

Registered User
Jun 4, 2008
7
0
swansea
Hi thanks for your feedback!

My gran lives in her own flat in a complex with a warden on site, but the warden is not there to give her medication etc. My mother calls there once a day at 6pm after work and I see her in the day on Mon and Wed, I have taken her out today. She doesn't get any help from SS. A few people living at the complex meet every day in the communal lounge for tea and she does attend most days.

She didn't doze off at all today but was just very very quiet, after I had started a conversation she would answer ok but only a few words. When she did speak she was very repetitive, asked me 4 times in 10 minutes was it my sisters birthday next week (it's my birthday next week)and then how old was I going to be 4 times. I don't get annoyed with the repetitive questions I just answer as if it was the 1st time she asked me but I can see if I had her with me 24/7 that it could grate on my nerves!

Also noticed that she had stains all down her tights, she didn't know what they were, you can guess what it was. My mum didn't make a fuss she just took them off and washed them. She has also not made it to have a wee, is this just another symptom of the alzheimers?? Can't believe the difference in 2 weeks, is this a downward spiral now or do they pick back up? Sorry so many questions!!
Syreeta
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Hi Syreeta, welcome to TP.

I'm afraid it does sound as if there is a deterioration in your gran, and perhaps you should talk to her consultant and have her tested again. You should also see her GP to check for any signs of infection. Any infection can produce the effects you describe, and as you say she is becoming incontinent, there may be a UTI. If this is the case, she may become continent again after treatment.

If there is no infection, and the consultant confirms a decline, it sounds as if it is time to be thinking of a NH. Warden-controlled flats are not really suitable for someone with dementia, the warden supervision is not meant to cope with health problems, and if your gran is becoming incontinent, she's going to need more care.

All the best,
 

ChrisH

Registered User
Apr 16, 2008
281
0
Devon, England
Hi Syreeta, welcome to TP

Sorry to hear about your grans decline. It's horrible to see loved ones deteriorate like that.

I agree with Skye re warden controlled places not being suitable for someone with dementia. If you go down that route I hope you don't run into any problems trying to transfer. It might depend on who is footing the bill for the warden controlled flat. My cousin and her husband are currently fighting a battle with Essex social services because her mum is being funded but had to pay a bit towards it. She's now apparently below the savings limit but they are still asking for payments. It seems like they won't move her because it will cost more. She has dementia, depression, is incontinent, deaf, and can't move out of her chair without 2 carers' help. They come in and get her up and give her breakfast then she's in the armchair till lunchtime when they come and toilet her and give her lunch, then she's back in the chair till teatime etc etc. She can only join in any activities if someone bothers to take her downstairs. Her room apparently reeks, she's had over £100 stolen (17 different people have access to her room!) and her daughter and son-in-law can only get down to see her at weekends. And the SS reckon she's ok in the flat:mad: My cousin is now refusing to pay the top up in the hope it might get some reaction.
 

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