Fear in stage 7

lhfry

My husband is the last stages of AD. In the last week he seems to have developed fear of I guess falling, but can’t be sure. If I push his wheelchair through a doorway he grabs both door jambs and won’t let go. Same if I move him from one place to another- he will grab on and not let go. It took two care personnel to get him out of a chair he hung on so tight he lifted the chair with him. If he is at a table, he grabs the table. He bends over and concentrates on his shoes or the floor. This is new. Depth perception difficulty is the tentative diagnosis. Something clearly changed, he seems frightened and it is difficult to reach to calm him. He makes sounds like he is distressed. Any ideas or similar experience? What can be done? It’s the fright that I find most disturbing.

toolbeltexpert

I have no personal experience with my dw but I have witnessed first hand what your saying. A resident where my dw is absolutely petrified of falling. He hangs on for dear life. The cna's assure him they have got him but he trembles are they lower him to sit. It has gotten a little better and they maybe because they have learned how to assure him? I do understand what your saying though. I hate this disease and what it does. My wife does have depth perception issues though nothing causing any distress though.

Ed1937

Long shot, but possible UTI?

harshedbuzz

It does sound like a visual processing issue.

Some people in the later stages perceive dark flooring or a change in color as a hole.

jfkoc

You might try pulling him backwards through a door.

Battlebuddy

My husband had a similar issue. The only time I saw terror on his face was getting up out of the bed to walk down the hallway. Transferring was a scary thing for him.

When he was in the bed he would comment on how happy he was there. I talked it over with Hospice , and we decided to transfer only when needed. His world shrunk but it was better than what happens when they feel like they are falling.

This was a tough one for me and his family didn’t understand . They wanted to see him up and about but I did what kept my husband happy and content

lhfry

Thank you for the responses. The Hospice nurse thought it might be a uti but he was treated and it made no difference. Depth perception problems seems right. Riding in the car helps. I took him for a long ride the other day and he talked (few understandable words), sang (tunelessly) and laughed out loud. This went on for more than an hour straight and he seemed to feel good. Maybe it is the motion of the car or that he feels secure enclosed in it and seatbelted. No lasting effect though.

The accompanying symptoms are more vacant staring, great difficulty getting and keeping his attention. After a long slow decline over many years it seems in the last couple of months to be accelerating. I wouldn’t wish this disease on my worst enemy.