mum and vascular dementia

chakras

Registered User
Jan 24, 2012
16
0
Mum is 70 years old and has been almost diagnosed with vascular dementia. Tests point to a dementia which is of the basal ( i think ) / parkinsons dementia. She has mobility issues in her right arm and right hand and her writing is very very bad. Most drinks etc ( cause she is right handed ) tend to get spilt. She is more and more confused and it seems that although week to week there is a slight worsening of the condition ( only slight ), when we look at the progression from just over a year ago when everything started, the progression has been rapid.

If you were to ask her tonight, what she did this morning, she would not be able to remember. Each day, i get asked what day it is, there is incontinence problems, and constipation problems. Also, very depressed but on medication and with the thorough tests taht were done, depression was discounted from the results.

An MRI done a year ago showed that there was small vessel changes in the brain.

We are getting care in and a care assessment done, but she gets agitated and is fighting against us when we try to get extra care.

There are more worrying signs each week. The last one was when we had to do shopping. I asked her if she had her bank card and she said yes but was not quite sure where it was again, a few second later she remembered that she keeps it in her handbag. I asked her if she knew her pin number and she said ' i think so, why do i need it to buy things'.

I think we are going through a rocky phase at the moment, and in a kind of strange way ( which i feel guilty about ) I am looking to the time when there is acceptance of the care that we can give in the house , plus help etc , adn it means that she is not swearing when the carers leave , telling me constantly that she does not need the help and being quite abrupt at times to them.

We have been advised that the condition will get worse, it may still plateou out abit, but to date this has not happened.

We have the odd good day but more often than not, a lot of bad days.


So, the future is unknown and the one thing I am scared to ask about until now, is what is the prognosis and life expectancy of someone with that form of dementia.
 

FifiMo

Registered User
Feb 10, 2010
4,703
0
Wiltshire
Hiya Chakras,

In answer to the question you asked, I am not sure you will like the answer, but it is - No one knows what the prognosis might be for your mum. Some people have prolonged gradual declines, other might have an infection (eg UTI) and have a pretty dramatic decline then plateau out for a while. As you will often see on here, no two people with dementia are the same and for this reason it is very difficult both to compare like with like with someone else with dementia and to make any kind of long term prognosis.

With regards to the weakness in your mum's right arm, have you considered getting her something like this: http://www.uksmobility.co.uk/kitchen-dining/cups-tippers/dignity-two-handled-mug. Apologies if you have already considered this.

Fiona