Does anyone notice balance issues due to loved one's dementia?

pnutbutmchoc: For the most part, quite a lot of elders have an unstable gait. It's just a part of aging. Canes, wheelchairs, walkers and Rollator walkers would not have ever been invented if there was no need for them!

Yes, I have noticed my mom having balance issues since dementia.

Iamkitty, have you ever seen the walking or trekking poles that are popular with fitness buffs? They look like ski poles but are designed for walking, with hand grips and loops and sturdy rubber tips. I wonder if your mom might find them more helpful than the broomsticks?

Thank you all. I found an article on a type of OTC drugs that increase dementia! Dramamine and many sleep formulas. What next...one of the bravest generations in the world! Those that just keep on keeping on!

My Mom had issues with balance and she didn't have dementia at that time. She just refused to use a walker, but would once in a while use a cane. She found taking anti-vert was very helpful for her but as we all know, if you find a med that works great, eventually the pharmaceutical company will stop making it :P

Once I realized the company was no longer making anti-vert I called every drug store in the area and bought what stock they had. Mom's doctor suggested using the generic of the drug but that did squat, didn't help at all. So my Mom started taking anti-histamines which helped a bit, it was better than nothing.

Another thing to notice about balance, look at what type of shoes one's parent/spouse is wearing. If the shoe isn't sturdy it won't help. I got Mom quality sneakers and that helped her.

My mother has a really hard time walking when she first stands up, then just a hard time the longer she walks. We take brooms and thak the broom off the stick (most just screw off) and put electrical tape on the bottem end. She uses on in each hand. She will have NOTHING to do with canes.

Thank you thank you- all of you for responding. It helps so much more than I can express. Our family is in deep denial and I know I can get honest answers and life experiences here. If we know what could be coming I feel better trying to understand it now. Blessings and big bear huggz to all.

My mother suffers from vascular dementia and has been bedridden/immobile for the last few years. She was having trouble walking and keeping her balance for a year, then went on hospice for a random health issue and recovered but never regained her mobility. It sucks big time.

I have Lewy Body and Frontotemporal. A piece (varying in size from one person to another) of Lewy is Parkinsons, which causes balance and movement problems. I live with it daily, but it gets extremely bad if I get sick (almost like my brain disconnects from my body)--I fall and even though I know how to get up I can't get my arms and legs to move to do it, then when I finally get up I have trouble standing due to legs not wanting to work and balance problems.
Last hospital stay an OT explained that over my life I have learned to do things automatically--stand up, turn around, 'left flank, march', etc etc etc. She told me I have to slow down--take my time turning (especially sharp turns at corners and around to go the other way) in order to better maintain my balance and reduce the risk of falls. I also use a cane (walker if my balance really starts going away), ramps and elevators instead of stairs, and watch the ground for holes, dips and other things that could throw me off or trip me.

My grandma has a lot of dizziness and balance issues. She has fallen although not recently and has broken many bones. I do not know if it is because of the medications she's on, the fact she's a diabetic but a stable one, or if it's dementia. I always chalked it up to her just being 86 years old and it being part of the aging process. You start with being carried around, you end with the same.

You can talk to her doctor about possible side effects of medicine, try to encourage her to use a walker or cane to help when she does get dizzy and shadow walk with her (following her around in case she loses her balance to assist with her not falling or keeping her balance). That's what I do with my grandma. She's never alone while walking. I shadow-walk everywhere she goes including to the bathroom, to get her food, etc. She never goes anywhere without her walker and always takes it slow getting up and sitting down as to try to limit the dizziness caused by fast moving.

My mother has balance issues. It is associated with vascular dementia and small vessel disease. She needs a walker. My mother can readily fall and we need to provide extreme caution when she is out and about (outside the nursing facility). Her balance issues continue to get worse as the dementia continues to cause her cognitive decline.

My father has vascular dementia and his balance is seriously impaired.

The brain controls all aspects of our functioning. When the brain is damaged anything may malfunction, depending on the location and nature of the damage.

Balance is often impaired by dementia.

There is a symptom library at dementia guide dot com that covers physical changes and includes balance issues . They mention that balance problems are usually associated with late alzheimer's, but present earlier in parkinson's/parkinsonism, lewy body or stroke related dementias.

My FIL has not been diagnosed with dementia but his balance has been getting worse the last two years especially, which coincides with very noticeable decline in his cognition, retention, and memory. The man's physique is very good for his age and he's not on meds. He's been to many doctors to explain his balance problems and, reportedly, they can't find anything. He even had a CT but I've read about brain imaging in dementia and discovered that a normal CT brain scan can still occur in patients with Alzheimer's, which means it's not the best test for diagnosis.

Here's a link to the article:
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=77&pageNumber=4

Loss of balance and gait problems are very common in vascular dementia. Dizziness is also common in older people, even without dementia. My father and mother both have (or had) dizziness. My father had mixed dementia and my mother has vascular (maybe mixed) dementia.

I'd check with the doctor about the medication side effects of course, but you might discuss other causes like dementia. I've read about how neurological conditions (AD, Parkinsons, Lewy Body,etc.) often cause issues with balance. Many suffer falls. Some people lean over a certain way when they are walking and/or sitting.

Has your loved one been diagnosed? I'd rule out ear infections, vertigo, etc.

My cousin who has Vascular Dementia mixed with AD, had terrible balance. It grew so bad that she would just tip over backwards, even standing next to her walker.

My FIL has balance trouble. Although his meds might make the problem worse (the only way to know for sure is to take him off the meds), I think he'd have this issue anyway. The dementia has rendered him uninterested in doing anything physical at all, so his legs have gotten weaker. Because of the dementia, too, he has great difficulty even describing what he is feeling. "Weak" is his go-to word for everything, and if we ask if he is dizzy, we're not really sure if we can believe his answer, because he'll later deny it. But yes...we have noticed balance problems with him. The best thing to do is talk with his doctor. There might be other meds to try that could alleviate the dizziness if this is a new symptom. Best of luck!

My mother goes through phases when she falls frequently. I believe to be due to two things - medication side effects and poor judgment/memory - she does not remember/realize that she isn't strong enough to get around without assistance.