My mum has been physically ill for most of lockdown with various conditions, causing several hospital admissions.
She was admitted last time as she was slurring and felt shaky but this was attributed to diabetes and low blood pressure. Whilst she was in the hospital she had what the considered to be some 'mild seizures' but a brain scan showed nothing abnormal.
However, from that point all I can say is that my mum was 'changed'. she was discharged home under with a care package but she just didn't seem the same. She would not comply with what she needed to do, would aimlessly wander fiddling with things and making a mess, but more seriously had some falls when trying to mobilise by herself.
She was sent to a nursing home last week for respite where her behaviour severely deteriorated. She had managed to smuggle scissors in with her and slashed her arms, then she wrapped a bandage around her neck. She became increasingly confused and paranoid about the staff and just kept saying she wished was dead. Would switch between being pleasant then hugely aggressive. I had daily calls from the home telling me how concerned they were and they finally called an ambulance when she had thrown herself out of bed three times.
The GP suspected a UTI and constipation.
So she has been in hospital since Thursday and gets worse by the day. I have visited daily and cannot recognise the woman who is laying in bed. She barely recognises me, is utterly confused, paranoid and scared. She is aggressive to everyone and accusing the poor male nurse of the most dreadful things. She shouted at me today that she hates me and just wants to die. I just don't know what to do or think; it's heartbreaking
The tests have shown no UTI and she is no longer constipated. Her liver function bloods were slightly elevated so she is due a liver scan and a referral has been made to the psych team.
Dementia is being mentioned but how on earth can it be this extreme and this rapid with no previous symptoms? I can't help but think that this confusion and psychosis must have a physical cause from when she was last unwell but the hospital don't seem to be taking it that seriously. Mum has been prone to low moods in the past but absolutely nothing on this scale and I feel like I'm losing her. Can dementia hit this quickly and this hard?
She was admitted last time as she was slurring and felt shaky but this was attributed to diabetes and low blood pressure. Whilst she was in the hospital she had what the considered to be some 'mild seizures' but a brain scan showed nothing abnormal.
However, from that point all I can say is that my mum was 'changed'. she was discharged home under with a care package but she just didn't seem the same. She would not comply with what she needed to do, would aimlessly wander fiddling with things and making a mess, but more seriously had some falls when trying to mobilise by herself.
She was sent to a nursing home last week for respite where her behaviour severely deteriorated. She had managed to smuggle scissors in with her and slashed her arms, then she wrapped a bandage around her neck. She became increasingly confused and paranoid about the staff and just kept saying she wished was dead. Would switch between being pleasant then hugely aggressive. I had daily calls from the home telling me how concerned they were and they finally called an ambulance when she had thrown herself out of bed three times.
The GP suspected a UTI and constipation.
So she has been in hospital since Thursday and gets worse by the day. I have visited daily and cannot recognise the woman who is laying in bed. She barely recognises me, is utterly confused, paranoid and scared. She is aggressive to everyone and accusing the poor male nurse of the most dreadful things. She shouted at me today that she hates me and just wants to die. I just don't know what to do or think; it's heartbreaking
The tests have shown no UTI and she is no longer constipated. Her liver function bloods were slightly elevated so she is due a liver scan and a referral has been made to the psych team.
Dementia is being mentioned but how on earth can it be this extreme and this rapid with no previous symptoms? I can't help but think that this confusion and psychosis must have a physical cause from when she was last unwell but the hospital don't seem to be taking it that seriously. Mum has been prone to low moods in the past but absolutely nothing on this scale and I feel like I'm losing her. Can dementia hit this quickly and this hard?