Hi,this is my first post after lurking around for a few days - i must say I take my hat off to you all as carers and sufferers - this disease is the most cruel and sad disease.
My mum who is 76 has just been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia - she is currently living alone 40 mins away from me. She has always been a very unsociable person and so has no friends only a neighbour that visits a couple of times a week. The house is clean and tidy but the slightest problem throws her into a panic. She has lost weight and is down to 7 stone after being 8 1/2 all her adult life - she doesn't have any interest in food and lives on salads and eggs as far as I can tell.
She refuses to have ready meals as she is apparently perfectly capable of cooking but chooses not to!
She is obsessed with saving money - although she is comfortable - but the house feels cold and the cupboards are bare
When we went to the doctor she lied about her symptoms and got angry when me and my brother when we corrected her - one of the main things she suffers from is visual hallucinations where she believes that usually my brother has been in the house and moved / hidden things from her.
I quess my main question for today is what do I do next ? She is refusing to have social services round and refusing any medication for the hallucinations, She is not eating properly and also won't stop driving!
I am not able to go to her every day and to be honest if I did it would make little difference - if I do go she has no conversation at all and we end up watching tv!!
She seems depressed and can be nasty- as if she thinks I am trying to catch her out all the time.
It feels as if we are waiting for something major to happen to give us a reason to get more help ?
My mum who is 76 has just been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia - she is currently living alone 40 mins away from me. She has always been a very unsociable person and so has no friends only a neighbour that visits a couple of times a week. The house is clean and tidy but the slightest problem throws her into a panic. She has lost weight and is down to 7 stone after being 8 1/2 all her adult life - she doesn't have any interest in food and lives on salads and eggs as far as I can tell.
She refuses to have ready meals as she is apparently perfectly capable of cooking but chooses not to!
She is obsessed with saving money - although she is comfortable - but the house feels cold and the cupboards are bare
When we went to the doctor she lied about her symptoms and got angry when me and my brother when we corrected her - one of the main things she suffers from is visual hallucinations where she believes that usually my brother has been in the house and moved / hidden things from her.
I quess my main question for today is what do I do next ? She is refusing to have social services round and refusing any medication for the hallucinations, She is not eating properly and also won't stop driving!
I am not able to go to her every day and to be honest if I did it would make little difference - if I do go she has no conversation at all and we end up watching tv!!
She seems depressed and can be nasty- as if she thinks I am trying to catch her out all the time.
It feels as if we are waiting for something major to happen to give us a reason to get more help ?