Is it possible to regain lost skills following illness

Peegee

Registered User
Jan 22, 2015
17
0
My mum is in early/moderate stages of Alzheimer's but is currently in hospital recovering from bad bout of pneumonia. She's making full recovery but the illness has caused a dramatic decline in her dementia. Do you think she will be able to recover any of these lost skills once she is better and back in normal routine and environment?
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
Maybe the skills aren't lost but just in abeyance because your Mum now feels so ill?

My Mum's speech and ability to function drops remarkably if she has any infection, they normally improve again after she gets over the physical illness.
 

jaymor

Registered User
Jul 14, 2006
15,604
0
South Staffordshire
Not easy to answer your question. It really will be a case of waiting to see.

My husband was hospitalised with pneumonia and recovered without any loss of abilities.

Some time later he had a chest infection and it left him non weight bearing and needing hoisting from bed to chair. Nearly twelve months later he has not regained any of the lost skills he had.

hopefully your Mum will regain her strength and lost abilities, I have my fingers crossed for her.

Take care.
 

Loopiloo

Registered User
May 10, 2010
6,117
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Scotland
Hello Peegee and welcome to TP. What both AlsoConfused and jaymore have said is so true. When my husband has been in hospital his dementia has rapidly deteriorated. Then gradually he has again regained lost abilities. But as time passes, more illnesses, further dementia progression, he loses more.

jaymor wrote:

Not easy to answer your question. It really will be a case of waiting to see.
I agree. There is no telling, no set pattern for everyone. But don’t lose all hope, especially as your Mum is in early/moderate stages. I do hope she does once she is better and back in her usual surroundings.

Best wishes
Loo
 

Pete R

Registered User
Jul 26, 2014
2,036
0
Staffs
Do you think she will be able to recover any of these lost skills once she is better and back in normal routine and environment?
Last year my Mom (VasD) broke her pelvis and during her stay in hospital she lost lots of skills. Couldn't follow simple quiz shows on TV, couldn't do the easy DM crossword, no comprehension of the call button, could remember her address but not where it was nor anything about the house..........

On discharge she directed the driver to the house, sat down in her normal chair, found her fags, turned on the TV with the remote to watch The Chase, at 5pm wanted to know if it was still "happy hour" and if so why was it late:D, could work the stair lift to get to bed and filled up the teasmaid. In the morning I took her the paper and she asked for her dictionaries and completed the crossword.:)

I do hope familiarity brings things back to your Mum.:)
 

balloo

Registered User
Sep 21, 2013
227
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northamptonshire
my MIL has a UTI and ended up in hospital she has VD . After 3 days I hospital been back home over 6 weeks her memory that was about 1/2 is now 5 mins if you are lucky it has not come back.
 

Peegee

Registered User
Jan 22, 2015
17
0
Maybe the skills aren't lost but just in abeyance because your Mum now feels so ill?

My Mum's speech and ability to function drops remarkably if she has any infection, they normally improve again after she gets over the physical illness.

Thanks for your reply. That's reassuring to know that she might get back to where she was.
 

Peegee

Registered User
Jan 22, 2015
17
0
Not easy to answer your question. It really will be a case of waiting to see.

My husband was hospitalised with pneumonia and recovered without any loss of abilities.

Some time later he had a chest infection and it left him non weight bearing and needing hoisting from bed to chair. Nearly twelve months later he has not regained any of the lost skills he had.

hopefully your Mum will regain her strength and lost abilities, I have my fingers crossed for her.



Take care.

Thanks very much for your reply.
 

fluffyduck

Registered User
Mar 26, 2015
8
0
dorset
Hi peegee
My mum was in hospital for 3 months following a routine op, while in there she was diagnosed with AD and Now VD. We thought that she would never come home she was not eating, double incontinent, trouble walking and aggressive. she has been home with live in carers for 2 months and she is eating, walking, calm and using a commode. She is back almost to how she was before she went to hospital, she has got back into her routine and the carers have had to do what she wants. I thought I would not hear her laugh again but she is. I don't know the medical reason for it but I think its because she is in her home where she feels safe and loved where all her memories are.
I hope all goes well for you.
 

CynthsDaugh

Registered User
May 5, 2015
139
0
Salford, Lancashire
Hi Peegee, when my Mum fell last year and was in hospital for a couple of weeks it certainly affected her memory badly. When she asked me 'where am I and what am I doing here' my heart skipped a beat, she had never shown anything like that sort of confusion before. A few weeks later she moved up to live with me, and a few more weeks settling down and getting used to my (now our) home she's back to her old self. I hope it is the same for your Mum.