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My Mom is in her 6th year of dementia and in her 5th facility in that time. You all may recognize me from some of my other questions or responses to others. So I will not repeat the whole story. But in the past 6 months, (my mom is 88, going to be 89 in June) I have noticed (as have all the CNA's that take care of her) that she has slowed down her responses to almost nothing or just one word answers. She never smiles, or I should say, very rarely and I feel like she is giving me the silent treatment for putting her in the care facility, even though I know that is not it. I feel so guilty that she does not respond to me, and again, I know this is a product of the disease. I guess I am wondering what kind of phase she is in now, or if this silence and just staring is part of the progression and what part? Could she be like this for another 5 years or is this the beginning of the end? She still eats fairly well, is healthy in all other respects (meaning her vital organs) and is not thin. She is in her wheelchair full time, incontinent and has macular degeneration. I guess I just want to hear what everyone thinks and who has gone thru this too.

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my mom, too, had macular degeneration and I still remember the first time I showed up at her and dad's house unannounced she didn't know who I was; was so uncanny and she had hearing loss as well; so wish she could have gotten hearing aids, think it would have helped so much; think she had that Charles Bonnet syndrome that made everybody think she had problems, when, as became more apparent after she passed away, that don't think she was the one who did
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my mom, too, had macular degeneration and I still remember the first time I showed up at her and dad's house unannounced she didn't know who I was; was so uncanny and she had hearing loss as well; so wish she could have gotten hearing aids, think it would have helped so much; think she had that Charles Bonnet syndrome that made everybody think she had problems, when, as became more apparent after she passed away, that don't think she was the one who did
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sdbike, my Mom has macular degeneration and if I go over to my parents house unannounced or my Dad doesn't tell Mom I am coming [she is almost deaf] Mom will sit in her chair stone faced until she finally realizes that it is me, sometimes it will take a couple of minutes.... oh, and my Mom is still sharp as a tack with no memory issues. So part of that silent treatment could be eye related.
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Just spitballin' here. Macular degeneration is so frustrating to people who are not demented, that I wonder if your mother even understands what is going on with her loss of vision. If you think she is ignoring you, does she have any hearing loss? Maybe she's not hearing you and with the MD, she can't see your face well. There is a progression of the disease that they get kind of a mask-like face, where there isn't much smiling and stuff. Plus, as their dementia progresses, it becomes harder and harder for them to follow a conversation and seldom will initiate one.

If she's in her 5th facility in 6 years, she may be disoriented. Moving people with dementia is usually not recommended for various reasons.

I have seen, on this site, a breakdown of the general phases of Alzheimer's Disease. I know with my loved ones, they've never progressed through the phases cut and dried. It's been a little of this and a little of that. I think since she's eating well and physically healthy at this time, that the end is probably not imminent. But I'm not a doctor so what do I know? My MIL is pretty much the same as yours except for the macular deg. She's not FT in the wheelchair, but it's around the corner, I'm afraid. Just one day at a time, you know.
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