Dementia and what to expect?

Well, mom's dementia certainly ebbs and flows -- some days worse than others. Some days, a casual observer wouldn't even know she has a problem. Well, until she wishes them Happy Easter on their way out the door, that is. Ha!

When mom was rehabbing in the nursing home from her broken hip, she was worse. I think because of all the strangers around her. When I'd come up to her with a big smile, I could see she didn't know who I was. So I'd say, "Hi, mom!! It's your very favorite daughterrrr!" (I'm an only.) She'd laugh, and I could see she remembered. But not at first.

She forgets a lot. Some of it ends up being humorous. She thinks her boyfriend (of 47 years) is my father sometimes...then it dawns on her...she gets frustrated. I really don't remind her unless I have to. Why?

Don't worry about it. Why? Because you can't do a thing about it. It's the natural progression of dementia. Just go with the flow. (Well, unless she has a urinary tract infection, or has started some new medicine you suspect.)

What I have noticed about my LO's dementia is that she progressively forgets what happened the week before. Some weeks, things seem much more normal, but the next....it's more progressed and obvious. At 10:00 a.m. she will not recall if she has had breakfast or even lunch. She has no idea what time of day it is ever. She can only tell you it's daytime by looking out of the window.

The staff at the AL, where she resides, is used to it. I am learning to not jump onto everything she tells me. I follow up, but I know that there is a good chance her reports are imaginary. Last week she told they would no longer allow her to have ice cream for desert. I found out that it wasn't true. After dinner they are offered a choice between two deserts and one choice is usually a small cup of ice cream. If you pick the cake, you can't have the ice cream too. I think she may have wanted both. lol

Before she went to AL, my LO told me that when she awoke that morning everything seemed so different. She said she wasn't sure where she was at first. She was already in Moderate stage at that time.

What I do expect is that she has limited abilities to operate things like CD players, devices, etc. I now know that her reading is limited, so I take her things with lots of pictures. I keep her clothes simple and comfortable without lots of buttons or zippers, as they frustrate her. I try to provide her with basic things that she can still operate, but that become a challenge. I know the things will be able to do will decrease over time.

I try to prepare myself to not be disappointed that she has no idea who has brought her things to the ALF. We talk about things in the moment and I let her take the lead. If she starts talking about leaving the facility, I'll change the topic to something else quickly.

I have no idea how she will be on the next visit, but from what I see from the other residents who have dementia....it's sad. It's likely she will not be able to carry a conversation much longer. I hope for another year.....maybe. After that, I'll just visit with her, talk a little and just let her know I'm still there. I don't know what else you can do. I don't really have any expectations at this point. I just pray she doesn't fall and break bones or suffer from any serious illness.

I think a lot of variation day-to-day is typical in dementia. Cognitive fluctuations are a diagnostic hallmark in the kind of dementia my husband had -- Lewy Body Dementia. My mother, whose dementia has not been specified (but is not LBD and does not seem to be Alzheimer's) also has variations. She is usually worse when she is cold and when she did not have a good night's sleep.

My husband could carry on a lucid conversation until the end, but he also lapped into gibberish occasionally.

What we can expect with our demented loved ones is an overall downward slope, and lots and lots of ups and downs along the way.

having been thru this once with my mother and now seeing my aunt almost daily at NH , i think the time will come when i walk into nh and find that im her enemy . ( capgras effect ) . if that happens i have no problem with just walking away . ive had a fun year with her since moms death , gave her back a man , some wheels and her self determination . i cannot change the unpredictable course of a dying brain ..
expect constant hallucinations and a stream of jibberish in the end stages ..
i sometimes go get my aunt a hamburger in the evenings because " nobody has given her anything to eat all day " . its always a wry smile moment between NH staff and i ..

No it is not, dementia is the introduction to brain cell interaction as well as communication. There are many different types of dementia, because the term dementia' is a generic phrase only. The diagnosis, or kind of dementia is based on the physical show of behaviour that can simply be diagnosed or finalised from post mortem (after death). You will find medications that are available to sluggish the degeneration of mobile death. Your question requests if a pathogen can avoid, as a pathogen is something that produce or stimulates the beginning of the disease, then presently, not that I am aware of.

Mum has vascular dementia you dont say which dementia she has? This happened to me with mum twice since last year and it scared the hell out of me BUT like your mum i woke her up and then once up and about she was fine? Funnynily enough she was on aricept 5 then 10 then also horrific nightmares i had to take her off them as she was too scared to go to bed for fear of the nightmares since then maybe last year nothing ever like this happened again mums long term is better than mine but she will not know what happened yesterday on some days like MM says theres days youd think she was perfectly normal today she made me tea i cried after she hasnt made me tea in 2yrs for a moment she was my old mum again but this is quite common with vascular normal days and bad days but if i control her bloods more good days than bad she is very confused if bloods are high OR low!