Being new to this forum I'm never sure what is a good or stupid question, but I have been reading a lot of posts to see what others are going through.
Mum has only been how she is since last October and it feels like she progressed/deteriorated quickly but I don't know, I know most of you have been dealing with this for years. I've said on another post we thought we were dealing with the effects of the stroke as communication can be difficult and she didn't know what day of the week or what time of day it was (she still doesn't) but we now know it's stroke related dementia. She will do things like the tea bag in the toaster (tripping the electric), glasses of water lined up in different rooms for no apparent reason, taps being left on, odd shoes/slippers, saying no-one has been to visit when we know there has been family to see her. Simple things like the TV are a problem she has not idea how to turn it on/off or turn it over, or to turn on lights. The oven has been disconnected for months and now she's not even attempting to make her own breakfast, this was the last meal she was still making on her own.
Night time is a very confusing time for her, she doesn't know which door to go through for the bathroom sometimes, or even that the big white chair type thing in the bathroom is a toilet, or she's surprised she's in the living room without going down the stairs (she lives in a bungalow). She never knows what time it is so she's constantly trying to get ready from silly o clock. The main thing for the night time is going to the loo and forgetting to lift up her nightie, she can't remember now most of the time that she needs to use loo roll and we know she would be mortified by this and she's forgotten how to use the chain on the back door. She can still turn the key (blessing or not we don't know yet) so we know if there's a fire she can still get out but worried what happens if she gets to the point she can't open the door. We have taken the front door key away as we know she'd open it for any one and everyone. We know she hides things and we've got an on going battle with her knickers and where they are, we end up having to buy them on a regular basis as we can never find them.
We have to explain things to her over and over, if plans change or if we're trying to explain something medical, this reminds me of speaking to a small child and them saying why all the time. The other day I got there and she was broken hearted and I finally figured out she'd spilled some of a dinner my sis had taken to her for lunch and she thought my sis would never speak to her again, she kept saying 'so ashamed, so ashamed' it took me a long while to console her and get her to realise what had happened was nothing to be worried about at all. It breaks my heart to see her like this and I don't know if she has progressed quickly and it will only get worse in a short space of time or if we'll still have 'mum' for a while longer. Although this is by no means her only medical issue (we still have the ticking time bomb that is her organs) she seems to have plato'd with those issues and this one is the prominent issue and is only getting worse. I do thank our lucky stars that she is still very placid and 'happy' most of the time, albeit in her own little world.
I'm trying to brace myself for something I know is coming and have no control of but the not knowing when is killing me for some reason.
Mum has only been how she is since last October and it feels like she progressed/deteriorated quickly but I don't know, I know most of you have been dealing with this for years. I've said on another post we thought we were dealing with the effects of the stroke as communication can be difficult and she didn't know what day of the week or what time of day it was (she still doesn't) but we now know it's stroke related dementia. She will do things like the tea bag in the toaster (tripping the electric), glasses of water lined up in different rooms for no apparent reason, taps being left on, odd shoes/slippers, saying no-one has been to visit when we know there has been family to see her. Simple things like the TV are a problem she has not idea how to turn it on/off or turn it over, or to turn on lights. The oven has been disconnected for months and now she's not even attempting to make her own breakfast, this was the last meal she was still making on her own.
Night time is a very confusing time for her, she doesn't know which door to go through for the bathroom sometimes, or even that the big white chair type thing in the bathroom is a toilet, or she's surprised she's in the living room without going down the stairs (she lives in a bungalow). She never knows what time it is so she's constantly trying to get ready from silly o clock. The main thing for the night time is going to the loo and forgetting to lift up her nightie, she can't remember now most of the time that she needs to use loo roll and we know she would be mortified by this and she's forgotten how to use the chain on the back door. She can still turn the key (blessing or not we don't know yet) so we know if there's a fire she can still get out but worried what happens if she gets to the point she can't open the door. We have taken the front door key away as we know she'd open it for any one and everyone. We know she hides things and we've got an on going battle with her knickers and where they are, we end up having to buy them on a regular basis as we can never find them.
We have to explain things to her over and over, if plans change or if we're trying to explain something medical, this reminds me of speaking to a small child and them saying why all the time. The other day I got there and she was broken hearted and I finally figured out she'd spilled some of a dinner my sis had taken to her for lunch and she thought my sis would never speak to her again, she kept saying 'so ashamed, so ashamed' it took me a long while to console her and get her to realise what had happened was nothing to be worried about at all. It breaks my heart to see her like this and I don't know if she has progressed quickly and it will only get worse in a short space of time or if we'll still have 'mum' for a while longer. Although this is by no means her only medical issue (we still have the ticking time bomb that is her organs) she seems to have plato'd with those issues and this one is the prominent issue and is only getting worse. I do thank our lucky stars that she is still very placid and 'happy' most of the time, albeit in her own little world.
I'm trying to brace myself for something I know is coming and have no control of but the not knowing when is killing me for some reason.
