ok my mother has alsimers well mixed and is very bright, x nursing sister so why within 6 month has she gotten so much worse i thought it was memory loss not home loss etc she don't recognize her home she gets v confused at night is this normal and sometimes awful thoughts i dont know what to expect just need help feeling alone noone else helps in family just need to chat and need answers.
omg what is going on
- Thread starter lillybabe
- Start date
My OH has also got very bad in a few months - I am shocked how quickly he has deteriorated. He didn't know his own home and is now in nursing home and still going down. The one thing about this disease is you just never know how it will go. The journey is always different. Big hug to you and hope this helps a bit that it.s not just you.
Hiya Lillybabe,
If there is a sudden deterioration or changes in behaviour with someone with Dementia it is worth ruling out whether they have an infection eg Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or Chest Infection etc. If all is clear then it would lead you to suspect that this is just another step along the journey with dementia, unfortunately. The thing with dementia is that no two people follow the same path. You can talk to people who have vaguely the same symptoms as your mum right now, but tomorrow they might be worlds apart in what is happening with them.
You say she doesn't recognise her home and gets confused, mostly at night, this can be due to something called Sundowning. It was thought that when the sun went down that dementia sufferers became more confused and their behaviours changed - hence the name Sundowning. Sundowning can however take place at any time of day. When someone is Sundowning you can often notice a marked change in their demeanor. They can be more agitated or confused. They can seem to be more hostile towards others, particularly if they are having problems working out where they are or who the people are. Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do other than try and distract them. Whatever you do, don't argue with your mum. This can lead to more agitation and aggression if she feels that you are challenging her.
There is a good thread here which tells you about how to communicate with someone who has memory problems and also gives you an insight as to what is happening from the other person's point of view. Maybe it would be of help to you with your mum. http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?30801-Compassionate-Communication-with-the-Memory-Impaired.
If you're on your own i think you will find this place great for finding someone to talk to or just share experiences with.
Hope this helps,
Fiona
If there is a sudden deterioration or changes in behaviour with someone with Dementia it is worth ruling out whether they have an infection eg Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or Chest Infection etc. If all is clear then it would lead you to suspect that this is just another step along the journey with dementia, unfortunately. The thing with dementia is that no two people follow the same path. You can talk to people who have vaguely the same symptoms as your mum right now, but tomorrow they might be worlds apart in what is happening with them.
You say she doesn't recognise her home and gets confused, mostly at night, this can be due to something called Sundowning. It was thought that when the sun went down that dementia sufferers became more confused and their behaviours changed - hence the name Sundowning. Sundowning can however take place at any time of day. When someone is Sundowning you can often notice a marked change in their demeanor. They can be more agitated or confused. They can seem to be more hostile towards others, particularly if they are having problems working out where they are or who the people are. Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do other than try and distract them. Whatever you do, don't argue with your mum. This can lead to more agitation and aggression if she feels that you are challenging her.
There is a good thread here which tells you about how to communicate with someone who has memory problems and also gives you an insight as to what is happening from the other person's point of view. Maybe it would be of help to you with your mum. http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?30801-Compassionate-Communication-with-the-Memory-Impaired.
If you're on your own i think you will find this place great for finding someone to talk to or just share experiences with.
Hope this helps,
Fiona
Hi lilybabe and welcome to Talking Point.
I'm sorry to hear about your mum - you will find lots of help and support here.
This factsheet on the progression of Alzheimer's disease may help. As others have said, everyone's journey is different, but I found it a great help to realise that what we were experiencing was 'normal'.
I'm sorry to hear about your mum - you will find lots of help and support here.
This factsheet on the progression of Alzheimer's disease may help. As others have said, everyone's journey is different, but I found it a great help to realise that what we were experiencing was 'normal'.
Hi,
Can I be rude and ask how old your mum is? Only rude as we ladies should never be asked our age.
My mum was diagnosed in October 2011 aged 66. She had been showing symptoms of dementia for about 3 years prior to this. Mum is now 67 (march bday) and she is now in a nursing home, she is unable to recognise any of us, is urinary incontinent and rarely feeds herself. Her decline has been unbelievably rapid and we thought there was something else going on in her brain, mini strokes, blood clot, maybe mixed dementia but no, her CT scan showed nothing untowards and her diagnosis is Alzheimers, just straight alzheimers.
The disease affects everyone differently, some people plateau, then have a dip, plateau and dip. Mum nose dived. We were basically told by mums psychiatrist and her psychiatric nurse that the earlier the onset the quicker the decline although I think this is a very GENERAL rule of thumb and there are people who are exceptions to this rule. So I'm not by any means saying if your mum is young she's going to go downhill at a rapid rate of noughts but its something to bear in mind.
As others have said, ask for a UTI to be ruled out as they have enormous effects on sufferers behaviour, also, mum tends to be more narky and has a wobble when she is constipated! Sounds strange but when she's bunged up as it were she is all over the place.
I hope you find lots more help on TP, there are some lovely people in here with all kinds of experience who can support and listen to you whilst your on this bumpy journey.
Take care
Sharon
Can I be rude and ask how old your mum is? Only rude as we ladies should never be asked our age.
My mum was diagnosed in October 2011 aged 66. She had been showing symptoms of dementia for about 3 years prior to this. Mum is now 67 (march bday) and she is now in a nursing home, she is unable to recognise any of us, is urinary incontinent and rarely feeds herself. Her decline has been unbelievably rapid and we thought there was something else going on in her brain, mini strokes, blood clot, maybe mixed dementia but no, her CT scan showed nothing untowards and her diagnosis is Alzheimers, just straight alzheimers.
The disease affects everyone differently, some people plateau, then have a dip, plateau and dip. Mum nose dived. We were basically told by mums psychiatrist and her psychiatric nurse that the earlier the onset the quicker the decline although I think this is a very GENERAL rule of thumb and there are people who are exceptions to this rule. So I'm not by any means saying if your mum is young she's going to go downhill at a rapid rate of noughts but its something to bear in mind.
As others have said, ask for a UTI to be ruled out as they have enormous effects on sufferers behaviour, also, mum tends to be more narky and has a wobble when she is constipated! Sounds strange but when she's bunged up as it were she is all over the place.
I hope you find lots more help on TP, there are some lovely people in here with all kinds of experience who can support and listen to you whilst your on this bumpy journey.
Take care
Sharon
thanks
hey ty for the thread fifimo that helped a lot omg been doing all the opposite to what it says ,you think you lieing to them but it all makes sense. everyone should read it ive started to put it in practice and just makes sense, it will take a bit of time to get use to it all but it is very helpful.
my mother is 81 just had first signs at 80 took her to doc 3 times, he said shes ok done some stupid questions that i couldn't answer about the past and said she was ok.
was only when i insisted for another opinion that he said we wont call it another opinion that's a good idea we should get a referral.
why are doctors so eager to dismiss it rather than refer people.
My mother was a nursing sister in charge of intensive care so a very bright person and brainy not nice to see her like this. but im determine to look after her even tho its very hard.
the one thing i didn't expect was that she would get some quite disturbing thoughts found this a bit frighting.
it just nice to have ppl to chat to ty all for replying.
hey ty for the thread fifimo that helped a lot omg been doing all the opposite to what it says ,you think you lieing to them but it all makes sense. everyone should read it ive started to put it in practice and just makes sense, it will take a bit of time to get use to it all but it is very helpful.
my mother is 81 just had first signs at 80 took her to doc 3 times, he said shes ok done some stupid questions that i couldn't answer about the past and said she was ok.
was only when i insisted for another opinion that he said we wont call it another opinion that's a good idea we should get a referral.
why are doctors so eager to dismiss it rather than refer people.
My mother was a nursing sister in charge of intensive care so a very bright person and brainy not nice to see her like this. but im determine to look after her even tho its very hard.
the one thing i didn't expect was that she would get some quite disturbing thoughts found this a bit frighting.
it just nice to have ppl to chat to ty all for replying.
hi lillybabe,
I think there's a public perception that Alzheimer's is just about memory loss, but sadly that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's a disease that affects the physical structure of the brain so it's not just the memory it affects, but the ability to reason and even learned activities like how to go to the loo or even how to eat as it progresses. My father was a Headmaster and always watching the OU programmes on the tv and listening to the science stuff on Radio 4. In his 70s he tried scuba diving for the first time and taught himself German, at 80 he got his silver certificate for glider pilots and at 88 he was still towing a caravan across the continent with my mother. Sadly, at 90 we found out he had no idea who my brother was or that he had any children and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Now at 92 he has no idea which clothes to put on in what order, or sometimes what to do with toilet paper, or why when he blows his nose all the 'wet' comes out! On the other hand, give him a harmonic and the tunes just come out.
It's not easy, but I have a lot of admiration for my father, and I'm fortunate not to have other calls on my time, so we manage one day and one problem at a time.
I think there's a public perception that Alzheimer's is just about memory loss, but sadly that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's a disease that affects the physical structure of the brain so it's not just the memory it affects, but the ability to reason and even learned activities like how to go to the loo or even how to eat as it progresses. My father was a Headmaster and always watching the OU programmes on the tv and listening to the science stuff on Radio 4. In his 70s he tried scuba diving for the first time and taught himself German, at 80 he got his silver certificate for glider pilots and at 88 he was still towing a caravan across the continent with my mother. Sadly, at 90 we found out he had no idea who my brother was or that he had any children and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Now at 92 he has no idea which clothes to put on in what order, or sometimes what to do with toilet paper, or why when he blows his nose all the 'wet' comes out! On the other hand, give him a harmonic and the tunes just come out.
It's not easy, but I have a lot of admiration for my father, and I'm fortunate not to have other calls on my time, so we manage one day and one problem at a time.
Lillybabe, know your loved one is over 80 but that is absolutely no reason that she should not have been referred to an old age memory clinic for proper assessment and also for you all to be assessed for attendance and carers allowances and any other support available.
Hugs Benjie
Hugs
BenjieFirst, it's important to rule out something like a urinary tract infection (UTI) because these are notorious for making people with dementia much worse - if there is a sudden, unexplained decline then a doctor will usually check for a UTI using a dipstick first. Other infections can have the same effect too as can something like constipation. It's not known why this happens but it is a well known phenomenon. There might be no other signs of the infection, such as a cough, or smelly urine, etc and in someone without dementia they would probably go completely un-noticed.
Second, sudden declines are a defining feature of a type of dementia called Vascular Dementia. In VD you would expect to see sudden declines spaced with periods of stability. In Alzheimer's, the decline is usually gradual and steady. It can be very difficult to diagnose someone in the early stages of either of these because they both have virtually the same symptoms, however, the pattern of progress may help to tell one from another. It is also possible for someone to have both sorts at the same time (called Mixed Dementia) and also possible to have one for some time and then develop the other.
Third, Alzheimer's and Vascular are very individual diseases and no one can predict their progress or effects for one particular patient. The best that can be done is to use averages and typical effects, but there are always exceptions. For example, a typical Alzheimer's patient will have a disease from first diagnosis to death of ten years: but some people progress much faster than this, others, much more slowly. There are typical symptoms in the various stages, of which there are six, but again, some people may lose an ability at the start that is usually lost in a late stage, or retain an ability to the end that is expected to be lost early.
Fourth, most people who haven't encountered dementia do have a perception that it is about forgetting things. Obvously, this is a major feature in dementia, but there are other symptoms that are extremely common and these include personality changes, disturbed thoughts, paranoid or delusional thinking, hallucinations and so on. Not everyone gets these, but most people will get one or more of them at some time.
What you describe in the way of symptoms is, I am afraid, not unexpected in someone with dementia. They are "normal" features of someone with dementia.
However, the sudden decline is worth having investigations by a doctor because there might be a specific cause - such as the UTI - which treatment will improve. It could, however, simply be a natural progression of the disease - for your mother. Each case is unique.
Doctors are sometime sperceived as being un-coperative. It is normal for some elderly people to lose some mental ability as part of growing old - it can be difficult to distinguish between this and genuine dementia, particularly in the early stages. Whilst prompt referral is important, this has to be balanced against putting someone elderly through a set of tests and worry without enough evidence to support doing so.
Second, sudden declines are a defining feature of a type of dementia called Vascular Dementia. In VD you would expect to see sudden declines spaced with periods of stability. In Alzheimer's, the decline is usually gradual and steady. It can be very difficult to diagnose someone in the early stages of either of these because they both have virtually the same symptoms, however, the pattern of progress may help to tell one from another. It is also possible for someone to have both sorts at the same time (called Mixed Dementia) and also possible to have one for some time and then develop the other.
Third, Alzheimer's and Vascular are very individual diseases and no one can predict their progress or effects for one particular patient. The best that can be done is to use averages and typical effects, but there are always exceptions. For example, a typical Alzheimer's patient will have a disease from first diagnosis to death of ten years: but some people progress much faster than this, others, much more slowly. There are typical symptoms in the various stages, of which there are six, but again, some people may lose an ability at the start that is usually lost in a late stage, or retain an ability to the end that is expected to be lost early.
Fourth, most people who haven't encountered dementia do have a perception that it is about forgetting things. Obvously, this is a major feature in dementia, but there are other symptoms that are extremely common and these include personality changes, disturbed thoughts, paranoid or delusional thinking, hallucinations and so on. Not everyone gets these, but most people will get one or more of them at some time.
What you describe in the way of symptoms is, I am afraid, not unexpected in someone with dementia. They are "normal" features of someone with dementia.
However, the sudden decline is worth having investigations by a doctor because there might be a specific cause - such as the UTI - which treatment will improve. It could, however, simply be a natural progression of the disease - for your mother. Each case is unique.
Doctors are sometime sperceived as being un-coperative. It is normal for some elderly people to lose some mental ability as part of growing old - it can be difficult to distinguish between this and genuine dementia, particularly in the early stages. Whilst prompt referral is important, this has to be balanced against putting someone elderly through a set of tests and worry without enough evidence to support doing so.
When my husband was first diagnosed with AD we were not told what to expect. It is as if you are supposed to know.
I have had some very good information from the factsheets here and from carers and support group. If you find your local Carers organisation you will probably find they run a couse . I attended one called Caring with Confidence which was very helpful and our local AS run a CRISP course for carers too. It is also good to meet other carers because you do find out, as other TPers have said, that the progress of the disease is not the same for everyone, but you do get some useful tips and ideas and it is such a relief to speak to others who understand the difficulties.
With regard to previous intelligence making any difference I am afraid it does not. My husband has a PhD in biochemistry and was awhizz with computers too but now he could not even turn one on.
love Tre
I have had some very good information from the factsheets here and from carers and support group. If you find your local Carers organisation you will probably find they run a couse . I attended one called Caring with Confidence which was very helpful and our local AS run a CRISP course for carers too. It is also good to meet other carers because you do find out, as other TPers have said, that the progress of the disease is not the same for everyone, but you do get some useful tips and ideas and it is such a relief to speak to others who understand the difficulties.
With regard to previous intelligence making any difference I am afraid it does not. My husband has a PhD in biochemistry and was awhizz with computers too but now he could not even turn one on.
love Tre
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