Mom's confusion is getting worse. At first she asks me what to do with a pill and an hour later she is fine. Is this normal with dementia?

Coconut oil! :-) Read up, then have her eat up! There are many wonderful nutrients to feed the brain - and that's my favorite. Having some right now, in my chai. Mmm. As to the confusion coming and going - yup. That's something I see very commonly - even within moments. My current client tends to "go south" at about 4pm every day. Between noon and 4 she is often nearly normal. My gut instinct about her call asking if she should swallow her pill, was that it was a cry for attention and help. I think she's giving you a sign, as Christina said, that she should not be alone. Otherwise, she might have just not known what the thing was, rather than asking if she should swallow it. I wouldn't wait until the stove got left on, or water running, etc, to get a caregiver.

Morning sacline, imagine when any electrical appliance is starting to wear out, or the solenoid in your car. Sometimes it works perfectly, then you notice a glitch, but then it works; one day it misses twice, the next three days it's fine, then it starts missing every time you use it. This is the best way I can explain the burning out of connections in the brain.
With your Mom, you need to make statements or give simple directions for each task. You say she called you? I would say she needs to have someone with her at all times now. As caregivers of parents with dementia, we have to alter our perceptions to deal with them. Accept that Mom is going to get more confused and not act the same as she has. Be aware and don't fight it-- it is bigger than us. Read as many articles and visit threads here on Aging Care, ask questions, take care of yourself, too. Pace yourself and ask for all kinds of help. We are here for you, we care, we support you, we know how hard it is and how it hurts.
Big Hugs, Christina xo

From what I learned from being on AC this is what hapens there are great threads here one I am on is Grossed out my mother used my toothbrush to comb her hair-the folks there have dealth with everything possible with taking care of spouses and parents and you will find those with your problem I would encourage you to learn all you can about this to help you understand what is going on and reach out to others here everyone wants to help-and do greatly-you can not do this alone-God knows.

"We know that there is nothing else they can do but make her comfortable," That is not necessarily true. Certainly there is no cure for dementia, and many doctors do throw up their hands and say that nothing works. But depending on what kind of dementia it is there are treatments that can help improve the quality of life. Does your mother now take Aricept? It is more effective for some kinds of dementia than others, but you won't know until you try.

I agree with Christina that it sounds like your mother may not be safe on her own. If she is now, that may not last, so it is good to plan ahead.

Best wishes to you as you start this caregiving journey.

In and out of confusion? My Mom too. Right now she's not remembering how to eat - literally. She asks what's she supposed to do with the food on her plate.

Yes, my mother has dementia diagnosed about 8 years ago. She was

I agree that your mom should not be alone taking her pills. While my mom was still living alone, she was taking her meds twice a day and that can be dangerous! Luckily I noticed after a few days and not too much damage was done. As far as going in and out of being normal; I think that it is a common thing and you never know what to expect...just know that it will get worse as time goes by and now is the time to plan for someone to be with her more...especially someone to dole out her pills and maybe have her eat only microwaved foods...unplug the stove maybe.

"Going in and out of dementia" is one of the hallmarks of Dementia with Lewy bodies. A more correct term is 'fluctuating cognition'. BTW, DLB is the second most common form of dementia, after Alzheimer's. The Lewy Body Dementia Association website, www.lbda.org has detailed info about DLB. Please check it out. If what you read sounds like your mother, take the information to her doctor who may or may not have heard of DLB (sometimes called LBD). If not, look for another doctor. A neurologist or geriatric psychiatrist should know how to treat it.