This in my first post. My grandmother (who is Greek) is 94 years old and lives in Crete. Physically she is very healthy and strong, still living at her own house in the village she grew up. Over the last years she has been a bit forgetful and sometimes would ask you a question twice, but the family was not really concerned as the trajectory was very slow given her age, so to speak. Like most Greeks she has been self-medicating, but again nothing out of the norm.
However, over the last 10 days her mental condition has deteriorated rapidly, to the extent that she does not recognise her son and daughter, had become very aggressive (verbally and physically), conjures stories, and bahaves in unusual ways (refusing to bathe, walk around naked, and others).
At the onset of this behaviour there was suspicion that she self-medicated and overdosed on some anxiety pills, and was rushed to the local hospital. She spend a couple of days there with a drip and oxygen (abusing the nurses and her neighbours) but nothing wrong wad detected and she was sent back home. Mental care in Greece is a family affair; the local NHS wants nothing to do with such conditions (especially regarding a 94 year old).
Needless to say that the family is in a state of shock. Is this sort of rapid decline a usual phenomenon? Is there a prognosis or some 'best practice' in situations like that? Should we be looking for other triggers (perhaps a stroke or brain tumor)?
Apologies for the long post.
However, over the last 10 days her mental condition has deteriorated rapidly, to the extent that she does not recognise her son and daughter, had become very aggressive (verbally and physically), conjures stories, and bahaves in unusual ways (refusing to bathe, walk around naked, and others).
At the onset of this behaviour there was suspicion that she self-medicated and overdosed on some anxiety pills, and was rushed to the local hospital. She spend a couple of days there with a drip and oxygen (abusing the nurses and her neighbours) but nothing wrong wad detected and she was sent back home. Mental care in Greece is a family affair; the local NHS wants nothing to do with such conditions (especially regarding a 94 year old).
Needless to say that the family is in a state of shock. Is this sort of rapid decline a usual phenomenon? Is there a prognosis or some 'best practice' in situations like that? Should we be looking for other triggers (perhaps a stroke or brain tumor)?
Apologies for the long post.
