My mom seems to be deteriorating quickly. Within a matter of a few hours, she went from seeing butterflies on the wall to being combative. Is this normal?

I just recently went through this with my mom. She suddenly began to be combative. She refused medicines, refused baths and was not her normal passive self. I think you are getting good advice. I checked for UTI, potassium levels, thyroid issues and any other medical issue that could be causing the change.

In my case, it was the natural decline of the disease (and I think perhaps a stroke) which caused the sudden behavior change. Hospice was so beneficial.

Not knowing anything else about your situation beyond your profile post (and everything you wrote there also applied to my mother for several of her final years) - this sounds like sundowners.

Your profile says Mom is dying. Is she under Hospice care or even comfort care?

Anxiety can cause this problem. There are meds that can calm Mom down. I hope you mentioned this to a Nurse. If Mom is not on Hospice care, I would recommend it at this point.

Mom is probably in transition. She may not be able to swallow eventually. This means the body is shutting down so she can no longer take in water or food. She should not have any pain or discomfort of any kind. Thats where Hospice helps with medication.

thecominglight, I agree with the other writers, time for Mom to be checked for an Urinary Tract Infection. An UTI can cause such a change in someone who is older.

I remember when my Dad said he saw lots of ants on the wall and in his food. Yep, it was a UTI, and the ants started to disappear once the antibiotics took hold.

Agree…maybe a UTI. Sounds also like sundowning and advancing dementia, and sadly, dementia doesn't seem to make most people nicer. I'm sorry.

She could have had a stroke.

A sudden change in mental status might be due to a urinary tract infection. Please get her urine tested and cultured asap.

Is mom on Hospice?