Is it common for Alzheimer's to progress so quickly?

Th, I just saw this thread and would have suggested you have her checked for a UTI or other sort of infection. My mom had seven UTI's over the course of a year. And her symptoms were varied. The first one she complained of a back ache, another one she was exhibiting stroke symptoms, could nkt walk and her soeech was garbled. And the infections always cause increased confusion and agitation. She never exhibited the "normal" symptoms of a fever or pain. Any sudden decline should be checked for infection. It is often the culprit. Each of my mom's infections she returned to her "normal" for the most part. Hope she is doing much better. Be careful if you suspect UTI's. Left untreated a person can become septic which often leads to septic shock and death.

I had my mother taken to the hospital yesterday and she has a severe urinary tract infection which can affect the brain and their personality. When I left the hospital she seemed much better. This morning I called at 7 am and she's in CCU and I have to call back in an hour to find out why. She's fallen out of bed 3 times in the past 4 days so they took her bed frame out and put the mattress on the floor and they're getting a new bed that's lower to the ground. I'm hoping once the UTI is all better she might be able to walk better. If she makes it out of there I'm going to start taking her to a urologist on a regular basis. She's in assisted living and they KNEW she had a UTI but evidently didn't know how to cure it. I take my mother-in-law (97) to a urologist every 3 months to control her chronic UTI. When it gets inflamed she becomes a crazy person.

Has your mom actually been diagnosed with a specific type of dementia? From my reading, I think that Alzheimer's normally progresses at a slower rate than other forms of dementia, like Vascular, which can progress quickly. You can go the Alzheimer's website and look at all the various types of dementia and see what looks familiar to you. Plus, discuss it with her doctor. Does she have a neurologist?

My cousin, who has Vascular mixed with Alzheimers had gradual memory loss and mild delusions for months, before she progressed suddenly with profound memory loss and anxiety. Then a short time later with incontinence and inability to walk. Her progression was in steps It is quite alarming, but I have read that it often happens that way. She went from running her own household to needing complete care and security within 4 months.

I would discuss it with her doctor to confirm what is going on. You can ask about therapy. It might help. I discussed it with my cousin's doctor, but with her advanced stage, he doesn't think it would be beneficial to her. She is able to move her feet along to propel herself in her wheelchair and says she is not in pain. She can still stand up to get in and out of bed and to get weighed, but she can't do much more.

While she's barely walking be very careful that she doesn't lose her balance. That is a huge issue. Falls are common and they caused my cousin multiple fractures. Don't rely on her to use a walker. Often they forget or fall anyway. Best wishes to you and your mom.

Mom is in assisted living and she had physical therapy and occupational therapy for 3 months to learn how to use her walker. She was off therapy for about a month and now she's back on again. This woman was very active all of her life. She lived on a farm, gardened, mowed the lawn, cut the hedges, cleaned the house, cooked and raised four kids by herself. She never sat still. The rocking chair is a good idea.

Ask her MD if physical therapy would help. PT can be given in the home with the doctor's written order. If she sat around a lot to begin with, lack of use means lack of strength. Daily use of a rocking chair helps strengthen the leg and hip muscles. It also keeps the gut moving like it should.