Mom developed shingles over night a week ago last Sun/Monday. August 7, 2017, I snapped a picture and texted to her dr. He immediately knew it was shingles and called in an antiviral. We also thought there was a uti and he started her on an antibiotic after we saw him in person the next day. Mom has been shaking, despondent, unable to walk, toilet, feed herself without the help of the aids in the assisted living memory care. She went from walking with a rolling walker to a wheelchair over night. After a week on the meds we went for a followup to see that she was healing. She is and we are now switching to topical antibiotics and another oral antibiotic to keep her from Staph as the shingles are on her buttocks. The problem is her being able to not care for herself in any way. He said there is a 50/50 chance she won't return to her prior cognitive/physical status and might have to be moved to a nursing home if she doesn't. We've been at AL Memory Care since March, 2017. She has gone fully demented before while having a uti but recovered all 3 times. This seems different and worse. Any hope of her "returning"?
If she is able to communicate you might ask her.
Preparation H suppositories did offer some relief in my experience. That was used on the advice of the pharmacist.
I am sorry I can't be of more help.
UTIs can be tricky and not test positive until some time after the different behaviors appear.
One round of antibiotics don't always clear them.
Any other med changes might need to be reviewed. Sometimes meds they have been on for some time start to have undesirable results.
I understand your concern regarding the sudden decline.
Someone should come along to offer additional advice.
(((Hugs)))
She did take an antibiotic as she had scratched her way to an infection, she was absolutely miserable for months and months. I would say that there was a definite cognitive decline about that time. She stopped driving as she was on heavy pain meds--and she never went back.
Sounds like your poor mom just had a "perfect storm" of bad health. But have her evaluated and hope that when she recovers, she comes back to you. Any serious illness in the elderly can cause huge cognitive changes.