Is it common for people with complete dementia to have hours of clarity?

I have heard of episodes such as you describe which can happen in the hours, days and weeks before death. Check out this article which sheds light on the phenomenon:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/awakenings-in-advanced-dementia-patients-hint-at-untapped-brain-reserves/

Wishing you the best of luck with your mom. I hope you both continue to enjoy these periods of lucidity because it's a wonderful thing!

I have noticed that in the past with my LO when she was in the earlier stages. On some days, she might be rather chatty, recall events, act like herself......and I'd wonder if I had lost my mind. Was she really ill or had she recovered from dementia? But, it was momentary and the next day she's be back to the same dementia level. Just good days and bad days. Eventually, the good days stopped happening, though.

I look forward to reading lea’s article.
I have known of two cases. My DIL father had Parkinson and LBD. He had a couple of times where he was completely lucid. Much as you described. The family thought it was due to a new med but it did not last. This was in later days of his illness.
One day out of the blue my cousin called me on her way home from a Parkinson’s covention with her mom who is on hospice with Parkinson’s and dementia. Said she had exciting news and wanted to surprise me. I wasn’t home so she said that her mom had started talking again. Cousin said after her mom went on hospice she decided to try CBD oil to see if it would make a difference. I was very skeptical. I wanted to tell her about my DIL father because I didn’t think this would last but didn’t have the heart to do anything but encourage her to enjoy it. Her mom who has been nonverbal when I saw her in May had started talking in July within a week of starting the oil. She lost her Parkinson’s shuffle and flat expression. She made amazing improvements for over a year. Then she fell and lost a lot of ground. Stopped talking again. Had to have a hospital bed etc. Slowly she is improving again but not as dramatically as the first time. So, I know it does happen. The CBD oil appeared to be what was helping but the disease marches on. My cousin felt like it gave her mom back to her for a magical period of time. I would record her if I were you and you have the capability to enjoy in the future. Hugs to you and mom.

Yes, just recently. I too love those times with my LO.
Her diagnosis is Alzheimer’s, but I know that there are little idiosyncratic events in every case. I’m happy to have this be one of hers.

I have read an awful lot about dementia & alzheimers as I kneeded to educate myself since I cared for my Mother Who had Alzheimer's, and these times are referred to as moments of lucidity where by the Sufferer can engage perfectly in conversation and show a very improved alertness. Enjoy and allow the conversation flow as it may not happen that often.

I'm not saying that what you're talking about is this, but there is a condition called terminal lucidity that LO's & caretakers should be aware of: "Terminal lucidity, rally before death or end-of-life rally, refers to an unexpected return of mental clarity and memory, or suddenly regained consciousness that occurs in the time shortly before death in patients suffering from severe psychiatric or neurological disorders." (See Wikipedia)

I've also read that it's possible in cases of physical illnesses, where there seems to be a sudden and miraculous lucid recovery from a condition which had a grave prognosis (such as sepsis or coma), but shortly after the lucidity, the patient reverts and dies.

Yes, it is fairly common.

As another has mentioned, if she is close to the end, she could be having moments of terminal lucidity. Only time will tell.

Yes.

Dear Sharon
My Mom has had these episodes about twice a month now for a year. She is lucid most days although she does sleep alot.

The Dr calls this "high energy periods" wherein she will be quite talkative and active; organizing drawers, walking around perfectly fine without a cane or walker, wanting to call friends etc

The problem occurs at bedtime. By the end of one these exhausting days for her she will go to bed admitting she is tired but won't stay in bed. She has stayed up for 24 hrs before becoming a HUGE fall risk.

We have tried several meds to get her to sleep at this juncture. I am doing the ennie meanie minie moe with Ativan Hydroxizine Hydrocodone and even returning to Tylenol PM.

The stronger drugs have given her the Paradox effect..in other words they have the exact opposite effect on her. We both end up in tears and arguments. It's very similar to the toddler who won't go down and has a million excuses to get back up. The next few days are "lost" as she is down for the count as I call it without much of a recall of the previous days events.

My Mom has been in the hospital for 5 days now with a sprained ankle. Because its not broken she doesn't qualify for a Medicare Rehab stay. Am advocating that the Dr come up with a diagnosis to qualify her for Rehab. I asked for Failure to Thrive yesterday. He wasn't sure!!! My current thread is "I need advice STAT"

In my case its not an end of life occurrence. There were others experiencing theses symptoms as well on a thread a few years back. Hope they will chime in.

Yes, With Alzheimers and other forms of Dementia you can have moments of lucidity. They sometimes last for an entire day. They ocurred with my mother in the last years of her life. I certainly enjoyed them while they lasted. I made sure to have the Assited Living Community where she livedm call me to come when she was experiencing these episodes. It gave me small windows of time where we could interact -almost like in the past. It was joyful.

Of course! Anything from better blood perfusion to the brain, better eating so blood sugar is stable, better sleep the night before... can lead to these more lucid periods. Enjoy the times you can connect.

My great-grandfather would do this. He would clearly say the blessing before meals. He was a preacher, and in the nursing home he would preach every Sunday in his room. One may not have understood, but the nurses figured.

Yes, periods of lucidity will be present with your LO.

giving Mom 5 mg of Melatonin, 3 times, daily, along with her Seraquel, has made such a positive difference
It has also helped lots with the Sundowning. It does not make her sleep, just calm. She still takes Trazadone at night, for sleep.

My soon-to-be 90 yr. old Mom (3/11) talks in her sleep and at times is so lucid it is unbelievable. During her waking hours, she suffers from aphasia and struggles to make a sentence. But at night, through the baby monitor in my room, I hear her carry on conversations with no-telling-who and I can understand most everything she says....in her sleep!