Mom’s been taking her meds great but all of a sudden she mixed up day and night meds (note all meds are in pill organizers clearly labeled.)
One day she took pm meds in the am and am meds in the pm. Then pm meds the next morning.
Once alerted we spoke to her pharmacist for advice on how to proceed.
We got it straightened out or so we thought.
The next day we spoke to her at 5 pm. She insisted it was 5 am and she needs to take morning meds.
Where do we go from here? Is this sundowning?
She is not diagnosed with dementia.
I'm sorry to take so long to post but it’s been a whirlwind.
And I know that you say that your mom hasn't been "diagnosed" with dementia, but it's clear that she has it and should not be living by herself anymore.
We decided not to wait for any more signs (there were plenty of others) because they lived alone. We moved them near family and then got them care. Their undiagnosed dementia steadily progressed.
My dad tried Memantine to slow the progression of dementia, but it did nothing for him.
To answer your question of where to go from here, I recommend speaking to her primary doctor about your concerns, who will then likely recommend a neurologist. Neither of my parents were tested to determine which type they had. I expressed my own concerns to their doctors and made certain they took me seriously. But also your mom will need care, whether at home or in a facility. It will progress.
Because you included the words, "...all of a sudden..." I would take her to Urgent Care tomorrow to test her for a UTI, which can often cause cognitive, behavioral or neurological changes as its only symptom of infection. Antibiotics can return her to normal.
If she doesn't have a UTI, then make an appointment with her primary doctor, the purpose of which is a thorough physical plus a cognitive/memory test. Often dementia is diagnosed by eliminating all other possible medical causes (thyroid issues, diabetes, HBP, stroke, tumor, vitamin deficiency, COPD, etc). I would see the primary first because it will be easier to get in sooner, and maybe they will refer you on to a neurologist.
Next, if that is not possible, someone will have to give her the pills.
Take away full access to her pill case (put in drawer or another room where she will not access it) and then you or an aide or helper gives her the pills in the morning and evening.
My mother would also call me in the middle of the night thinking it was mid day. I ended up getting her a digital click which says not just the time but the date, day of the week and whether it is morning, afternoon, evening or night. Once in a while she doesn’t check it but it has helped!
See All Answers