Rapid Decline(5)

Nancy B21

Has anyone else experienced a rapid decline?  I feel like mom went from "forgetful"  to not remembering most things and becoming mean --almost overnight.

We had to take her car away so not sure if this exacerbated it but it has been so fast and so awful. 

Thanks

Quilting brings calm

Did she get a UTI test- not just the dipstick but the culture?

harshedbuzz

I am sorry you are dealing with this sudden change.

Often a dramatic downturn can be attributed to a UTI, as Quilting suggested. Best to have this ruled out by her doctor with a strip test and culture.

That said, sometimes vascular dementia progresses in a series of significant loss of skills followed by a plateau where things stay the same for a while. 

A change in routine like a move or you being around more can lead to changes as well. Around the time when my mother finally agreed that dad needed to be seen he was in the middle stages. I suspect he has a sense I had some concerns about his abilities; I think early on he did as well. I think he was aware that I was the only person who was on to him and had the power to take away his independence. Consequently, when I would visit to check on things he was beyond nasty. My dad was always a bit of a sociopath and his spidey sense for cruelty remained intact a long time.

Another thought, if you have moved in or are seeing more of her than before, you may be seeing behaviors that have been there but not necessarily when you were around. I have a dear friend who moved her mom in with her. Previously they'd spend most afternoons and evenings together but even she was shocked by mom's behavior when spending 24/7.

HB

Kaustin1741

I'm right there with you. I'm not sure if we just don't know what the decline should look like or if it really is happening rapidly. My MIL moved in with us 8 months ago and we are shocked with the changes in the last 8 months. She has gone from forgetful and not remembering specific conversations to not knowing how to use the toilet and not recognizing the people around her. My family and close friends have called me Kat since high school. I was shocked the other night at dinner when she looked directly at me and asked "where's Kat?". When I told her I was Kat she looked at me like she thought I was a different person named Kat and said "no, the other Kat. Where is she?" We just kind of move past it and an hour later she knows who I am and everything is fine. It's hard to adjust when something new comes up.

Marigold Starcrown

That is scary. 😱

The part about "no, the other Kat".

It's like now she thinks that you have a cousin by that name or something and that it's not you.

That must feel pretty weird.

Sorry you have that sort of thing going on.

M1

Hi Marigold, these are old very old threads from a long time ago. You will do better to start a new discussion--look for the yellow button to the right--as a lot of the posters who started these discussions are no longer here.