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My Mother in Law just HAD to move in with us because she was falling 8-9 times daily living by herself. Since moving in, she has had MRI's, Ct scans, dr appts, a over a month of physical therapy. EVERYONE says she is normal. The Physical Therapist said her gait is great! Her Speech Therapist says there is nothing wrong with her voice box or throat but yet a lot of time she 'acts' so frail she can't even speak. Until you tell her to speak up, then she talks fine! She walks fine but lately she won't walk because "she just can't, she's shaking". My Husband and his Sister are at their wits end! Please help me figure out what to do. Do we put her in a nursing home already even though we know there is nothing wrong? She is just consuming too much time. She won't even bathe by herself.

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I just checked your profile and saw your MIL has Parkinson's. Do the test indicate she doesn't have it? If so, I wonder if she was afraid to live by herself and if she has a fear of falling. Bath times are dreaded by people that have this fear.

Your MIL's comment about shaking reminds me of something my mother does. She has generalized anxiety, along with some other things. Sometimes she'll hold her arm up and say she is shaking all over. Her arm will be completely still. I tell her that she must be shaking on the inside, and she says she guesses that is what it is. What gives her this feeling, I don't know. It may be nerves. I do think she believes that she is shaking. My mother seems to calm down some when I reassure her she is not shaking on the outside. Maybe it would work with your MIL.
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Pepper, just wondering if this behavior is new or something that has been going on for a long time. My mother had undiagnosed mental health issues for years and similar behavior. Always falling, says she's shaking, having a stroke - it went on and on. But, she also had other physical "real" ailments as well.

When they act like this they are looking for attention; and my experience has been that it is not normal behavior. Perhaps dementia setting in and sounds like she just does not like living alone. My mother was living in a NH facility where she got a LOT of attention by seeing so many people throughout the day. And there were many activities planned.

I realize this is a difficult situation for you as many of her problems appear to be self-induced. Maybe a psychiatric exam would be in order? Anti-anxiety medication might help. Hugs to you and take care.
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Pepper, just wondering if this behavior is new or something that has been going on for a long time. My mother had undiagnosed mental health issues for years and similar behavior. Always falling, says she's shaking, having a stroke - it went on and on. But, she also had other physical "real" ailments as well.

When they act like this they are looking for attention; and my experience has been that it is not normal behavior. Perhaps dementia setting in and sounds like she just does not like living alone. My mother was living in a NH facility where she got a LOT of attention by seeing so many people throughout the day. And there were many activities planned.

I realize this is a difficult situation for you as many of her problems appear to be self-induced. Maybe a psychiatric exam would be in order? Anti-anxiety medication might help. Hugs to you and take care.
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