Mom wants to "go home", she sold her house 15+ years ago.

TO HELP HER SLEEP AT NIGHT, Y CAN GIVE HER MELATONIN, IT'S A SUPPLEMENT THAT MIMICS NIGHT TIME, SINCE THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT TIME. MY MOM IS 96, AND I MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. IN THE MORNING I GIVE HER VITAMIN D, IT MIMICS THE SUN LIGHT, AND ABOUT A HALF HOUR BEFORE BEDTIME I GIVE HER THE MELATONIN. I HAVE TO WAKE HER UP IN THE MORNINGS. IT REALLY HELPS. AND NIGHT TIME IS MY TIME TO SET BACK AND BREATH. I WISH YOU WELL AND HOPE THINGS GET EASIER FOR YOU.

Hugs to you, JLO2013. You are certainly right that it is easier to "know" it is the disease than to calmly accept the disease's dreadful manifestations.

Hang in there! I hope that you are able, at least, not to feel guilty for your struggles.

It would help A LOT, more than you might imagine, if you are getting out and away from caregiving regularly. Do you have any respite schedule arranged?

Yes, that happened to my mother, her progression was very slow and suddenly she was wandering, not taking her pills and being very mean. It was really hard, my father hid a lot from me and I had sibling problems on top of it. It is so hard when things come too quickly or all of a sudden.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, I am familiar. We went through this a few years ago with the mother-in-law. She has been evaluated and on medication for several years. Apparently it was very slow to progress and now it is very fast. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts.

My mom went though this stage, and it is a stage. I hope you have gone a Alzheimer's web site or gotten a book that explains each of the 7 stages of Alzheimer's it will help you better understand that what is happening is completely normal. Almost all people who have the disease have a desire to "go home". This is the process of the short term memories not being able to become long term memories so the old long term memories come to the front as it they were current. Usually you will find that they really do not know where "home" is it is just a way of the mind trying to deal with this new process as the plaque is filling up the nerve brain cells and destroying them.

If you have not, you need to have her evaluated and get her on a treatment that is much better now then they were 10 years ago when my mother was diagnosed. Good and Blessed Be

I called the doctor today for me...before I have a nervous breakdown. I thought about the need to maybe up the dose on her anti anxiety medication. I think I'll check on that.

JLO2013 - it may be time to talk to her doctor about this. She may need an increase in her medicine or prescribed something to help her with anxiety. My mother-in-law had Dementia and did this too - so I know how frustrating it is - caregiving really stinks sometimes. But her doctor may give her something to help her sleep and for her anxiety during the day. I did this for my mother-in-law. She wasn't "over-medicated", but just enough to help her relax which was what I wanted - which made my life a little easier too. Caregiving is exhausting enough by itself so think about it. Good luck!!