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Els1eL Asked October 2018

Mum with Alzheimer’s in trance like state, cannot stand up straight, leans back and to the side. What is happening?

My mum in late stages Alzheimer’s has deteriorated somewhat over the past few weeks. Her eyes look glazed and as I said above, she is finding it difficult to walk and leans back and to the side. Nursing home stopped her drugs in case it was a side effect but it has become worse so Dr is going to put her back on them but at a much smaller dose to see if this does the trick. My mum cannot hold a conversation now but she looks so frightened and I feel at such a loss for her. Is this the end?

MargaretMcKen Oct 2018
I am so sorry that your mother looks frightened as things deteriorate. Can she still understand you, even though she can't talk with you? You must reassure her that she will be looked after and kept safe. There is no harm in saying that the doctor thinks they may have done the wrong things with the drugs, and they are expecting her to get better in a couple of weeks. For many people, this is the right time to suspend any doubts about religion and talk about going to be in heaven with the angels and all the people she has loved before.
Els1eL Oct 2018
Thanks for your reply. Sometimes I think my mum can understand me and other times not. My mother seems quite accepting when I try to explain what is happening and why. Problem really is my dad who is also in the nursing home and has vascular dementia.
He suffers from paranoia and delusions and thinks anybody dispensing drugs to my mum is trying to kill her off, so to speak. He spends all the time he can with my mum and would not entertain me talking to her about heaven. Equally, if I mentioned to my mum that they might have got the drugs wrong and it was just a matter of tweaking them, my dad would be angry thinking they might have got it wrong. It is extremely difficult to get my mum on her own as my dad insists on overseeing everything. Thank you for your input though, it would all make sense to me if I just had to deal with my mum and not both of them.
MargaretMcKen Oct 2018
One suggestion from another poster with a difficult father in shared care, was to ask the staff to bring mother to another area so that you can talk privately to her. They might be able to think of a reason why your father doesn’t come.

A few days before the end, my mother asked me what I thought happened after death. She wasn’t religious. I said that the story I found most comforting came from Australian Aboriginal people I knew, that soon after death the person’s spirit was very close and watching, that as time went on they drifted off into the universe, but that they would still come back and be close to you at times when you needed them. After she died, it was actually the way things seemed to me, even though I didn’t ‘believe’. Perhaps you could bring something like that up with an introduction about how the topic came up in conversation, or in something you read. You could even put it in the context of disagreeing with religion, which might not annoy your father so much. It helped my mother, and me too.

Best wishes at a difficult time, Margaret

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RayLinStephens Oct 2018
It could be the ending coming Els1eL and I'm sorry to tell you that. I didn't learn that the leaning back is the muscles going at the end - Hospice told me after my DH had passed while we were awaiting the undertaker.

Glazed eyes can be a sign of overmedication but towards the end, when the body starts shutting down, their vision can also go.

To calm her down, talk to her and tell her that she will most likely be seeing people that passed before her and that you know her time is coming. Tell her not to be afraid as her loved ones will come for her. I started telling my DH this the first time he was sent home to die and I continued for the 2.5 years we had left together.

There can be a tendency to lean towards the side and or backwards - it's the body trying not to fall. But you can tell her that you understand and she needn't be afraid that you will join her again when your time comes.

It doesn't matter if you, or she, believes this. My DH had lost his faith but I know for a fact that he saw people from his past. He saw his first wife, I heard him greet her. He saw his oldest brother, he called him by name. And his eyes were all glassy/misty and he kept looking all over the ceiling and I do believe he saw something or someone or a lot of someones.

Just keep telling her that it is ok and you are there and no harm will come to her.

I am sorry your are having to deal with this, it is a scary time for both of you. But later you will be so glad you were there to witness the passing, whenever it happens.
anonymous444729 Oct 2018
yikes! very good answer. I needed to read this one
My mother is doing these things as well, and her poor vision is now completely gone. as well as the leaning backwards and sometimes to the side. plus talking about home etc. Last night she asked me who was coming to get her then later asked if I would atleast stay with her until she went home
Very confused too. Its so very sad to see the daily deterioration. Physically draining !
Jessica40 Oct 2018
One of the knee separating cushions for sleeping really helped my mom to sit up straight during the day.  She sleeps on her side and having that cushion in between her legs kept her back/hips straight while sleeping for 12 hours.  Mom is in the beginnings of Stage 7.  I don't know if that would help your mom or not but it's something to think about.

Portmarly Oct 2018
I agree with Cetude's thoughts that there could be underlying medical causes for your mum's current state. My dad's LBD & Parkinson's is not as advanced as your mum's but I have observed similar symptoms with the glazed stare and the leaning. In one instance, it was related to a UTI, which caused toxic encephalopathy. He was treated with IV antibiotics and things reset themselves back to where they were. In another situation, it was determined that the damage in his brain had progressed to the point of him developing a seizure disorder. Anti-seizure medications have brought that under control.

Even though my dad is 95 1/5, he is aware of what is going on around him and has expressed some preferences about his future. Because he has been in eldercare for almost six years, he has seen the very sad progression of dementia and said he dreads living long enough to go through that decline. We have a very candid relationship with his doctor who has said that he faces a particularly difficult future with his double diagnosis and would be better off dying from a medical event. We have all agreed that my dad should be treated with medications that sustain his current quality of life, but, in a medical situation, we should be prepared to make a decision to forego treatment in favor of Hospice care and allowing nature to take it's course. My dad has excellent health insurance which also pays for an ambulance ride to the hospital. Rather than place me in the position of having to make what is really a medical evaluation that I might second-guess for the rest of my life, we've agreed that I will send him to ER for an evaluation of his condition. Then, based on what they find, we will make the decision whether to treat. If it involves a hospital stay with IV chemicals to improve him, then it's acceptable to him. If it involves invasive diagnostic tests, invasive treatments, a long rehab, or a condition from which he can't return to his current quality of life, then we will switch to Hospice.

I surmise you may not have had the opportunity to have such clarifying conversations with your mum which would bring you some comfort right now. I guess the point of my story with my dad is that there is a point where knowing what's wrong may have no therapeutic value for your mum's state. I think the suggestions to focus on her physical comfort and provide whatever verbal reassurances she might respond to is wise. I might add to their ideas that some people respond to music they have loved in the past by being calmed, or at least distracted by it. Our minister often suggests that when we have determined to allow nature to run its course, that we ask to have noise-making monitors turned off. She reminds us that there is a holiness in the quiet time spent with our loved one as we accompany them to the end of their journey.

Blessings.

anonymous444729 Oct 2018
my mother leans wayyyyy back when she walks (or attempts to anyway)- She is end stage Parkinsons. Also leans. Not sure if it is the disease progression or her body failing. Plus her vision is now completely gone -It is horrific to watch as she was hiking the Blue Ridge mountains and tent camping just 8 years ago at age 80. Try to stay calm and reassuring if she appears scared. My mother has been petrified /very scared - always was an anxious person, and the other day we had a heart to heart during a very lucid moment and now she seems very peaceful. I know the end is coming very soon. Praying it is peaceful. She has had to endure so much
Els1eL Oct 2018
Sorry about your mum Anniepeepie. Your mum sounds very like mine.
JoAnn29 Oct 2018
Here is what I found


Many dementia patients lean toward one side or the other. It is not necessarily associated with Parkinson's (or Lewy body). And it can be one of the early signs of dementia. See:

http://alzonline.phhp.ufl.edu/.../EarlySignsFeb08.pdf

It may also be a side effect (called "Pisa syndrome") of some medicines, including cholinesterase inhibitors, antipsychotics, and antiemetics.
Els1eL Oct 2018
Thank you for your reply. My mum was on low dose anti psychotic to help calm her aggression and to keep her safe, but it was a very low dose as the Nursing Home don’t like to have their residents doped up( this is one of the reasons I chose this one.)
She has been on it for a good while with no side effects which leads me to believe it is just a progression of her Alzheimer’s. It appears like she is forgetting how to walk. Also, it has become worse once off the drug. All very confusing and frightening for her.
MsTtheDiva Oct 2018
My mom is going through the same sort of issues right now. It's so hard taking care of her alone. I'm her only caregiver once I get off of work and all weekend. I know things are probably coming to the end and of course I'm not ready. It's just so much and so hard to deal with.
anonymous444729 Oct 2018
It is draining. I think the mental emotions make it even harder on top of the physical tiredness. This is where I am too- Once it is done I think we will not regret it. Best to you!
ConnieMH71 Oct 2018
Her Dr. should ask Hospice to evaluate her ASAP, as her body may be shutting down and the muscles tense from lack of enough oxygen. They can prescribe meds. that will help her body relax and make sure she has no pain or discomfort. They are wonderful and they will comfort you as well as your dear mum. My mom passed earlier this year and went through very similar things your mum is going through.
God bless and guide you
Els1eL Oct 2018
Thank you ConnieMH71. My mum’s oxygen levels were checked and were fine.
Everyone at the Nursing Home being wonderful.
Dorian Oct 2018
Sounds to me like Leftward Leaning and the fugue state that goes along with dementia. Both are unfortunately common and very difficult do watch. My mother had been leaning for just over ten months now. We prop her up with pillows and cushions, adjusting her to an upright and comfortable position. The fugue state can be very difficult to adjust to, but she's in there. Her brain is just taking a rest. Talk and interact with her as you normally would, offer comfort and love. I honestly think it still reaches them. Looking out and beyond is just another part of this insideous disease. As far as her fear expression, it could just be that her resting face appears fearful. It could also be confusion as dementia patients seem to regularly be trying to work things out, dismayed that they cannot make sense of this world that is being stolen from them. It sounds like you are doing all you can for her. You are doing an amazing job and obviously love your mom very much. That is everything.

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