MIL is now in MC doing worse

Butterfly02

My 81-year-old MIL is now starting to hold saliva in her mouth. She also will not move unless someone get her up. What does this mean? She does not have a bowel for 7 to 8 days without otc help and wants to drink very little. She will eat and wants to eat everything her appetite goes up and down, but when she eats, she really eats. She talks less and she does not know our names and more. This is like the worst disease ever. My husband gets depressed when seeing her this way, but she never complains about pain. This is all happening so soon. We just placed her 3 weeks ago.

djg001

So sorry to hear this.  Has this all started just since being placed in MC?  How was she doing before going into MC?  I've been grappling with what to do with my dad and one of my biggest concerns is that by sending him to an AL or MC facility, he will decline just from being in that type of environment.  What went into the decision to transfer your MIL to MC?  Perhaps this particular facility isn't working out and a different place would be better for her.

M1

Check and make sure there have not been medication changes that you aren't aware of that could be contributing.  This happens, unfortunately.

CanyonGal

Dehydration and nutrition deficiencies can contribute to mental decline. My mom goes through phases of not eating and then eating everything. When she is not eating or drinking enough, her verbal ability decreases. Dehydration means bowel movement problems as well.

Check medication, another contributor to behavior. Have someone evaluate her swallowing to see if there is an issue.

She could be moving to the next stage of her dementia too. 

towhee

When you check to see if there are any medication changes, also ask to see the medication administration record to see how often as needed medications are being given (if there are any).

Butterfly02

Hi djg001,

No unfortunately most of this behavior started here at home. I went to see her today she was so excited to see me which was so shocking. I was mean according to her because I tried to keep her clean when she did not want too. She looked wonderful. She would hold the saliva in her mouth after she had brushed her teeth someday. But then, she also did it on other occasions. She enjoys all of the activities at the MCF but I'm sure she wishes she could be home with her family. It was becoming too much for me and my husband is an only child. He has to work because I do not have a job currently. I am a transplant patient and lifting her and the stress it carries to not have help on top of my own ill parents as well was too much for me. I was starting to have to lift her, and she was resistant when she became comfortable and did not want to move to go and toilet every two hours. Plus, she started to open the door in the early mornings and late afternoon. It gave me anxiety. This pretty much was the deciding factor.