pacing!

[bagee]

Hi all. Yesterday was a good day for mum, she didn,t seem as confused and even explained to me how mixed up things were and how she realised that those 'things' were not really real and she was feeling so much better because she understood.
When I helped her to bed (9.30pm) I thought I,d have a quiet half hour to read.
To cut a long story short I went to bed 10pm and by 10.30 mum was up and pacing! This is new to me, she has previously got up and rummaged in drawers etc but got back to bed. I,m here at the computer and mum is still pacing up and down the hall. She stops and gets into bed I do likewise only for her to get straight back up and start the pacing again. She,s feeling about with her hands along the walls and sideboard and I don,t know what to do to help her. If anyone has experienced this and has any advice I,d glady listen/read. Could anyone tell me if this happens in early/moderate stage?
Mum isn,t really registering that I am here with her.
Mum starts the day by my being her daughter but usually I end up her sister.
So confused myself to see her this way.

 

[mrs mcgonnagal]

Hi all. Yesterday was a good day for mum, she didn,t seem as confused and even explained to me how mixed up things were and how she realised that those 'things' were not really real and she was feeling so much better because she understood.
When I helped her to bed (9.30pm) I thought I,d have a quiet half hour to read.
To cut a long story short I went to bed 10pm and by 10.30 mum was up and pacing! This is new to me, she has previously got up and rummaged in drawers etc but got back to bed. I,m here at the computer and mum is still pacing up and down the hall. She stops and gets into bed I do likewise only for her to get straight back up and start the pacing again. She,s feeling about with her hands along the walls and sideboard and I don,t know what to do to help her. If anyone has experienced this and has any advice I,d glady listen/read. Could anyone tell me if this happens in early/moderate stage?
Mum isn,t really registering that I am here with her.
Mum starts the day by my being her daughter but usually I end up her sister.
So confused myself to see her this way.

Hi bagee
My mam does the same, we are now at a stage where she will not go to bed at all, and after a long period of not sleeping at all, she is dozing off for periods, depending I think on how wakeful she has been over previous nights. Last night was not too bad, in the scheme of things! However, I am also up all night with her, and have to doze myself in a chair when/if she is reasonably quiet. It is all taking its toll. My mam is also better by day, less confused. It's a dreadful situation. I hope someone else may have advice, for me it is this behaviour that will force me to start looking at care homes. xxx

 

[joggyb]

Hi all. Yesterday was a good day for mum, she didn,t seem as confused and even explained to me how mixed up things were and how she realised that those 'things' were not really real and she was feeling so much better because she understood.
When I helped her to bed (9.30pm) I thought I,d have a quiet half hour to read.
To cut a long story short I went to bed 10pm and by 10.30 mum was up and pacing! This is new to me, she has previously got up and rummaged in drawers etc but got back to bed. I,m here at the computer and mum is still pacing up and down the hall. She stops and gets into bed I do likewise only for her to get straight back up and start the pacing again. She,s feeling about with her hands along the walls and sideboard and I don,t know what to do to help her. If anyone has experienced this and has any advice I,d glady listen/read. Could anyone tell me if this happens in early/moderate stage?
Mum isn,t really registering that I am here with her.
Mum starts the day by my being her daughter but usually I end up her sister.
So confused myself to see her this way.

I think many folk on here will recognise this syndrome.

My dad was always pretty active, but the onset of Alzheimer's made him even more so! Since he went into a care home last October, he spends most of his days (and nights) pacing all around the place. He rarely goes to bed, rarely sleeps. But he never seems tired or unhappy, so his carers just keep an eye on him and let him get on with it!

There's probably not much you can do about it, I'm afraid. You might have a word with your mum's GP and see if medication might help (my dad's on Citalopram for agitation generally, but it didn't affect his activity levels), and get her checked over in case there's any other underlying problem like a UTI.

 

[Tin]

This was/ still is a behaviour that I sometimes find hard to deal with. Like your mum, mine would get up and just wander around her bedroom, then it moved on to getting dressed and trying to get out of the house [had to go to work/school/catch a train] it was a bad time. Now mum is back to in and out of her bedroom for the first hour or so. I tried putting her to bed earlier in the hope that the wandering would be all over by midnight, but did not work. What I am now doing is taking her to the toilet when she does this and then back to bed, If she goes to bed at 10pm and sleeps, I now 'lift' her around midnight to use the commode. I think for my mum it has something to do with her bladder, but I'm only guessing because my method does not always work, last night it did and I was able to have a few hours to myself before going to bed.

 

[Blondebomber]

This was/ still is a behaviour that I sometimes find hard to deal with. Like your mum, mine would get up and just wander around her bedroom, then it moved on to getting dressed and trying to get out of the house [had to go to work/school/catch a train] it was a bad time. Now mum is back to in and out of her bedroom for the first hour or so. I tried putting her to bed earlier in the hope that the wandering would be all over by midnight, but did not work. What I am now doing is taking her to the toilet when she does this and then back to bed, If she goes to bed at 10pm and sleeps, I now 'lift' her around midnight to use the commode. I think for my mum it has something to do with her bladder, but I'm only guessing because my method does not always work, last night it did and I was able to have a few hours to myself before going to bed.

A whole pantomime goes on here in the evening. Dad seems to fire up as everybody wants to wind down. No matter how tired he appears as soon as he sits on the bed it starts. Sometimes he doesn't even know what his bed is for. He will refuse to lie down then appears to fall asleep for a short while sitting up. He stays in his room only for a short while then starts searching for his shoes etc to catch a train. The next port of call is Mums room...she has Alzheimers too..She gets fed up because he tries to talk things through or crawl around on the floor. I remove all clothing from sight else on goes layers of jumpers etc. half a tablet of Lorazopan is prescribed but barely takes the edge of his agitation. We now just leave him to mess around and occasionally he will put himself to bed. He may sleep for a few hours after midnight and a hot drink and a few biscuits seems to help.
Y

 

[bagee]

many thanks for replies

Thank you to all who have replied. I thought I was going mad last night as it,s my first experience of her pacing. This morning telling my husband when he called round (I live with mum at hers) I was laughing when I recounted the bit of cradling my bananas round like a baby. If I don,t laugh at some of the bizarre things she does I,d just cry all the time and believe me hundreds of tears have been shed! I still don,t know what stage she is as I get told early/moderate and then each person is different!! I know that. As for sundowning they need to rename that lark as that can be all day..... Bit of a rant sorry. Again many thanks folks x