So my Mother has Alzheimers. She is in the middle stages. She can still perform all activities of daily life. We recently (November 2017) put her into a very nice Assisted Living facility. Unfortunately, we are beginning to realize that this might not be a good fit. It seems the further along the Alzheimers progresses the more my Mom becomes a hypochondriac. She constantly thinks she is sick. She gets herself so worked up into a panic that she actually makes herself vomit. I thought that the Assisted living facility would help care for her... but they have kindly made it clear to us that they are not a nursing home. That they will keep her safe by checking on her every 2 hours... giving medication to her....assistance with showering, which she doesn't need. But they don't have the staff to handle her constant "health needs".
She has been though so much these past 3 months. I DREAD the thought of having to move her again. She is cognizant enough to HATE a nursing home. I just wish we could get her hypochondria under control.
Any advice would be extremely helpful. FYI- She is taking Zoloft but it doesn't seem to be helping.
We always take her to see a Doctor. There is a Doctor that comes to the AL facility twice a week. She is requiring constant medical attention and we are afraid that the assisted living facility is going to tell us that they can't handle her medical needs and send her packing.
I should add that she wasn't just panicking... she was delusional. I live out-of -state and she told my Sister that I had come to the assisted living facility and told her I was going to get a Doctor and be right back and then I never came back. That didn't happen.
After all, you don't want her epitaph to be "I told you I was ill!"
Is hypochondria a common "side effect" of Alzheimer's ? How should I handle it when I talk to her? If I even imply that her perceived illness is in her head it sends her into a panic. Should I just "go along to get along? I get frustrated because she uses this fantasy illness to NEVER get out of bed.