Dementia is very hard to watch - but I want to just let you now that your mother isn't doing anything on purpose. Parts of her brain aren't functioning and so when her behavior is different - it is because she is doing the best that she can.
What exactly is changing now? Maybe some of our members will have some ideas.
And the only thing you can do...is to do the best that you can. Do you have a church or good friend that you can talk to? How about other members of the family?
My husband used to say that he didn't need a BIG life anymore. He needed to feel loved and safe. So my world got smaller and smaller but I was so lucky that I had good health and could take care of him. When you care for the sick - you are the lucky one. I would not want dementia for a day.
I think it is the worse at the beginning because everything is shocking. What do the other members feel?
Lewy Bodies dementia is a vicious/fast progressing physically debilitating dementia. Like a combination of Parkinson's AND Alzheimer's. Hallucinations and the whole range of emotions are characteristics. Csansun worries are valid. Keep her mom's neurologist involved and let him/her help make the decision for changes in level of care.
I did not even know about this kind of dementia, but oh dear, it sounds tragic! If your mom is at home, there's probably nothing you can do but accept that it's not her rational self doing these things. If it's uncontrollable and comes on at any time, my thoughts would be not to take her out unless it's to a doctor's office. I'd want to shield her from the public.
Does singing or talking or reading to her calm her down at all?
I wish you peaceful days ahead.
Thank you for your replies. I do have friends and family for emotional support. My best friends are in another state but we do talk daily on the phone.
Its amazing that she can still beat someone at scrabble. The dementia only appears now and then. The is very passive and sweet in her personality. Keeps her dignity and always thanks everyone for everything that is done for her... & she loves my cooking...we love the same TV shows so for the most part she is with me and knows everyone around her. Its the very early stages and she is taking Aricept to slow it down.
My husband had vascular dementia. It is hard to watch and I found it unbelievable. Most of us go through life without ever being around people who hallucinate or have psychotic episodes so when you see it for the first times it is unbelievable especialy at the beginning when it is only here a short time and then the person is normal again.
I used to read or watch TV and I would be concentrating on a show or something and my husband would let out a scream or yell "where are you?" and I would get startled so I would say "Why did you do that?" and he would say "Do what?" and I'd say "Scream out" and he's say, "Did I scream out? I am so sorry..." so I would relax and about 20 minutes later - it would happen again. I was so jumpy for years...
It is not unbelieveable to anone who knows dementia that she can play Scabble in the early stages...keep her playing. It will help both of you...
