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needtowashhair Asked March 2020

Mom has suddenly lost the ability to do some things, but on the other hand walks much better. Any meaning to it?

Mom has always been fastidious about washing her hands. Now she just stares at the running water when I turn on the faucet. I show her what to do by sticking my hands in there. She doesn't get it. She also doesn't understand how to brush her teeth anymore. And lastly, in the last couple of days, she doesn't get what a straw is for. She just chews on it instead of sucking. All this has happened over the course of a few weeks. The straw thing in the last couple of days. Last week she was using a straw perfectly.


Yet at the same time, she's now walking better than she has in a long time.


Is there anything to read from all this or is it just part of the wonderful mystery which is dementia?

Grandma1954 Mar 2020
My Husband would lose the ability to do something seemingly over night.
This is why I suspected he also has Vascular Dementia as well as the diagnosed Alzheimer's. Often a doctor will diagnose Alzheimer's and do no further testing so I think may forms of dementia are misdiagnosed.
Little mini strokes can cause one to loose the ability to do something rapidly rather than the slower decline that Alzheimer's typically has.
Work with your mom re-teaching her things like hand washing she may not retain it or loose it again.
And it could also be the mystery of dementia...ya just never know! Every day can be a surprise.
My Husband was doing a lot of things that he should not have been able to do and lost the ability to do things he should have been able to so.

JoAnn29 Mar 2020
I would bring this to her Drs attention and the weight loss. This could be the desease and it could be another problem.

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medicaidmaze20 Mar 2020
My sister is doing exactly the same with the exception of a straw. She is glad to see me but does not call me by name or by our relationship-she had told staff this is my sister-now does not. Word confusion getting worse, still having hallucinations, walking is really strong in the forward mode-back sometimes good sometimes not. Yes, she knows a straw-helps her to get to the bottom of a drink vs tipping at an angle to get the last drop. She could play a simple card game-not so much in just a week. Maybe having a bad day-she seemed more tired than usual. She has lost approximately a pound a week in the 5 months she has lived at this unfortunate facility-lazy staff and bad food. I always have a juice drink or protein shake in my purse for sis. Crying gotten worse-I would say was whimpering for a minute or two when she first sees me-happy tears??-now volume is louder and lasts longer-another reason a community would not take sis-says this is disruptive behavior. Says she misses me and wants to be with me. We have one more facility to try-about 5 mins away. -out of 20 or so up to now. I am praying they will accept my sister. Typically these types of changes are not a good sign for us-been a downhill slide almost non stop.
JoAnn29 Mar 2020
I would say what sis does is an anxiety. I would think there was a med to help her.
wiseowl Mar 2020
Tredandweary: what a great way of describing it! Made me laugh out loud but so true!

Tiredandweary Mar 2020
Probably just part of the wonderful mystery of dementia. I think it can be compared to a box of cheap chocolates. Instead of the good pieces, it is filled with the ones you don't like. Once in a while you can find a good one, but mostly all are some weird jelly concoction.
JoAnn29 Mar 2020
I like that weird jelly concoction 😊

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