totally confused
I have just found this thread ( really informative) and tried to apply the stages to my mum and she just doesnt fit.
Mum had her first episode of delirium in March 2009, but had been avoiding new situations/ difficulty with organising anything for a couple of years prior.
She had 7 episodes of severe delirium over 18 months, denial, emergency admissions and hallucinations, physical aggression,delusions, frequent falls, double incontinence, refusing care etc due to physical stressors , usually a uti but also constipation and unknown infection. Each time she regained her independent living skills and her MMSE went back up to 29, and managed with very little care until the next one which usually came along in a couple of weeks.
Now mum is still able to wash and dress herself and heat a ready meal but unable to remember what she did earlier in the day, has no spatial orientation so is mostly lost, frequently thinks it is the wrong day ( despite 5 calenders) cannot shop and hasnt been able to handle finances for a long time,is totally urine incontinent and often doubly incontinent, doesnt sleep at night but does during the day, is very muddled about what is happening and when and her most recent MMSE was 24. Often unsteady on her feet.
Any stress eg toothache makes it much much worse, but then she comes back again to being able to function, albiet with a lot of input from me and monitoring of meds and bathing thanks to carers .Mum knows she cant remember things and that she keeps getting lost going to places she has been dozens of times.She is on permenant antibiotics to stop the infections, and there is a tentative diagnosis of Lewy Body dementia.
Does anyone know if thiere is a scale for this, and how different it is from AD?
Thanks
Beth