Things Don't Have to Get Worse - We are so blessed on the farm

PanamaFarmer

My 87 year old mother has vascular dementia. Last year she was confined in an assisted living facility in Las Vegas. She was hardly speaking and very combative. I live in Panama on a rural permaculture farm. It was a big decision but I took her from Las Vegas and moved her with me on the farm. I hired a live in care giver nurse for 1/10 of the cost I'd pay in the US and with better service. It will be 1 year next month and my mother has done a complete turnaround. She is not just talking more but having real conversations, she walks on the farm and gardens, she eats all the organic greens and fresh fruit. She is not on any medications but she takes a list of vitamins and herbs. She gets lots of natural sun, mountain water and fresh air. This natural lifestyle works on anyone's health. Yes, she missed seeing people but she is connected to nature more than ever and we go into town 1x a week to see people. The biggest thing I noticed was when I turned on Suze Orman on youtube  the other day as it was once her favorite show and then I heard her talking and relating to the financial advice. I started crying. I couldn't believe she was acknowledging info about finances.  I know it has not been just 1 thing that has turned her around but I am so blessed to believe in a natural healthy environment. 

This community has been so helpful and supportive and if there is anything I can do to give back please let me know. Or if any organic farmers can relate to my story I would like to connect.

Julee

Thank you for sharing! I have always wondered about this.  Especially when I see what the Meals are like at my Mom’s facility. Now the challenge is to get changes made, if that is even possible.

Iris L.

Thank you so much for posting you and your Mom's experiences, Panama Farmer!  Vascular Dementia can be amenable to environmental management and Best Practices.  I'm so happy to read that your Mom is doing better.  

Iris

Heather_T

Hello, I’m new to the forum and saw your post about your mom.  My mom is 75 and has vascular dementia as well.  She does also have Tardive Dyskinesia however we are trying to help that with medication.

My mom was doing well, then in May of this year headaches started and were very bad for several months with nothing helping her.  Soon we noticed her Tardive Dyskinesia getting bad and also her Dementia.  Now it’s hard to tell what is causing what.  The past few weeks she has felt like she had to go to the bathroom, I mean constantly, one day my stepdad tracked it and just from morning to 1p, she had him help her to the bathroom 33 times.  He started to track that’s how we knew and she would really only actually pee every 3-4 hrs.  Other times it was maybe her mind or body telling she went in her pants or she had to go.  Has anyone experienced this?

Also, I know that with later stages of dementia the person simply doesn’t want to eat, or can’t.  We keep trying, anything that she will eat and make it a form (like purée) that’s easy to eat.  How do you get them to eat, we feel it may help her become stronger.  Right now her body is failing her and I feel we are losing her.  Has anyone been able to turn it around and get their lives one to eat?

I’m not ready, never ever will be to lose my mom, I just feel this came quickly and maybe there is something more we can do to help her.

Thank you for any help and for listening.  Tonight I will cry myself to sleep with the thought we are losing her, she will never come to my home again, all those things running through my mind.  I can’t shut it of.  

Jo C.

Hello Heather and a warm welcome to you; I am so sorry for the heartbreak; I understand.

While dementia can cause some of these issues, I feel strongly that all other conditions should be ruled out before attributing the changes to the dementia.  As I read your input, it came to me that your mother may have a "silent" urinary tract infection.   These UTIs are called, "silent," because there is often no overt sign of pain or burning; but there can be quite a change in cognition, and/or function; and/or behavior until the UTI is treated. Even though she is not actually voiding as often as thought, it may be that she does have discomfort in the area and because of dementia and loss of processing and reasoning, she is unable to identify her issue or process and communicate it to others.

It would be a good idea for her to have a urinalysis done at lab; definitely with a culture and sensitivity; a dipstick check will not do it; the dipstick error rate is fairly high.  If she does have a UTI, once the infection is treated, she may well have a return to her more usual way of functioning.

Also, check her meds both those she has been taking for awhile as well as any new meds.  You can use Google to check for side effects; medication can often cause an impact upon appetite.  This is a common dynamic that we see quite a lot.

Since these changes seem to have happened rather quickly; perhaps having an appt. with her doctor would be helpful AND have him review her meds and also order a complete menu of labs to rule out a variety of things that could be causing or contributing to what is happening  including taking away her appetite. After checking her meds, an MD  exam, UA and labs, if all is "unremarkable," then one would think perhaps that the progression of dementia may be the cause.   (Does she have any tooth or denture problems which would make eating unpleasant?)

There does come a time at which our Loved One (LO) no longer wishes to eat much or eat at all.  Does she like milk shakes?  Perhaps making an ice cream shake with Ensure or other supplement drink will give her  some nutrition she needs.  Sometimes instead of meals, finger foods that can be eaten while sitting in a comfortable chair, such as while watching TV is sometimes more accepted.   If it is the effect of dementia upon the willingness to eat, then you can only do your best and let her be where she needs and wants to be.

 Heather; if it does turn out to be a dementia induced set of changes, it may be time to have Hospice step in to assist.  Medicare covers this; they can be wonderful and much extra support.  They do provide all necessary medical equipment at no charge including a hospital bed when needed as well as wheel chairs, lifts, etc.  They will provide an RN who will visit at intervals as well as monitoring your mother's care and be an advocate for assistance when needed; Hospice will also provie an an aide to bathe the client two or three times a week; you would have your own dedicated Social Worker, and a Chaplain if you wish.  They are also dedicated to supporting the family members and are available any time, 24/7.  May be worth looking into.

NOTE:  You are a little lost in someone else's Thread; if you go to the top of the page to the green box for a "new topic," and begin a new Thread, you will be seen and get much more input. 

Please let us know how you are doing; we will be thinking of you and we truly do care.

J.