Mother diagnosed with vascular dementia

[Tessaje]

Hello everyone

I am new to this forum Hello. my mum had a series of TIAs last year and now has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. She seems to be deteriorating quite quickly and is in a constant state of anxiety and cry’s all the time, she has suddenly seems to have lost her balance and sleeps 15 hours or more a day. She remembers some things and forgets others. It hard at the moment to work out what’s best for her. Does anyone know if there are stages of dementia and is it common for people to deteriorate so quickly. Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks

 

[jackdog35]

Sorry to hear about your mum. There are stages of dementia but my mum has also deteriorated quickly with vascular dementia. She has suffered badly with anxiety and crying and always ringing me up. She did have quite an aggressive period which was calmed with tablets. I think she is in later stage now as her walking is unstable, she doesn’t have much capacity and has lost inhibitions. At the moment she’s in hospital though with possible tia. We never saw any signs or symptoms until she had an operation with anaesthetic last year

 

[northumbrian_k]

Hi @Tessaje and welcome to Dementia Support Forum our friendly and supportive community. I am sorry to hear about your mum. I don't know anything about Vascular Dementia but these links might have some useful information:

Vascular dementia: Understanding your diagnosis

If you have recently been diagnosed with vascular dementia, this booklet is for you. It will help you, and your family and friends, to understand more about the condition and how it can affect you.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

What is vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia (after Alzheimer's disease). Everyone experiences it differently. Symptoms vary depending on the person, the cause and the areas of the brain that are affected.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

 

[Tessaje]

Sorry to hear about your mum. There are stages of dementia but my mum has also deteriorated quickly with vascular dementia. She has suffered badly with anxiety and crying and always ringing me up. She did have quite an aggressive period which was calmed with tablets. I think she is in later stage now as her walking is unstable, she doesn’t have much capacity and has lost inhibitions. At the moment she’s in hospital though with possible tia. We never saw any signs or symptoms until she had an operation with anaesthetic last year

Thank you for your reply. It seems that every time i see her (which is at least once a week) she has deteriorated a little more. It just seems to be a disease where you see the changes virtually daily. I hold my breath every time I speak to her because each time I hear in her voice her frailty. It just worries me so much I wanted to speak to the doctor about her progression but he just says it is the dementia.

 

[jackdog35]

Thank you for your reply. It seems that every time i see her (which is at least once a week) she has deteriorated a little more. It just seems to be a disease where you see the changes virtually daily. I hold my breath every time I speak to her because each time I hear in her voice her frailty. It just worries me so much I wanted to speak to the doctor about her progression but he just says it is the dementia.

See if she can be referred to mental health team or a community dementia nurse who can give you support and advice. We also had a visit from a dementia adviser and social prescriber who can give details of any local dementia clubs and activities you can take her to. Also get a carers assessment from your local carers hub. We got the full attendance allowance which has enabled some free respite for my dad as he’s found the anxiety very intense. The quick deterioration has been very shocking and we would never in a million years have expected her to be so confused and reliant on people when she was always so independent. It’s still very hard to accept.

 

[maisiecat]

Hello everyone

I am new to this forum Hello. my mum had a series of TIAs last year and now has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. She seems to be deteriorating quite quickly and is in a constant state of anxiety and cry’s all the time, she has suddenly seems to have lost her balance and sleeps 15 hours or more a day. She remembers some things and forgets others. It hard at the moment to work out what’s best for her. Does anyone know if there are stages of dementia and is it common for people to deteriorate so quickly. Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks

Hi, my husband has Parkinsons late stage and Parkinsons dementia and has now piggybacked vascular dementia on top. I have found the vascular dementia is very different with much more emotion and aggression but the thing you said that resonated with me was the balance issue. Pete has always had falls because of his Parkinsons but this loss of balance is very different. Over the last few months I have noted that he deteriorates and then levels for a while. He is under the Community Psychiatric team and is on dementia drugs which I think help so if she hasn't seen them they could be beneficial. Also from my personal experience Pete with the vascular dementia seems to read emotions very easily. I know its so hard but try to suppress your distress and fear and don't try to force memory. I hope that helps at all, believe me there are no sunny uplands. All you go for is them being safe and cared for.