New to group and need help with any suggestions

Ana_Bella

I am new to this group and would appreciate your feedback. My 95 year old mother has between MCI to mild dementia and lives in the independent living part of a Retirement Community. She enjoys the social life there and the fact that she can have all of her meals in the dining room. She functions pretty well as she is in a routine. She writes everything on her calendar to remind her of what to do. She is in really good health and walks all over. Her short term memory is gone and will ask the same question over and over again. Over the past 5 weeks she has fallen twice (the last time yesterday which landed her in the ER to get stitches and a CT of head as she is on blood thinner). She doesn't seem to pick up her feet well and this leads to her tripping. She forgets to take her walking stick or walker, no matter how many times she is reminded. Last week she was admitted for 3 days to the hospital for a heart rate of 38 due to her medicine for a fib (meds are administered by the clinic nurse so she got the right dose). The next day when she came home she had "no recollection" of being in the hospital. About two months ago I convinced her to give her car to my niece as she really has no business driving at her age. She had agreed to this and now brings this up constantly to me as if I did something underhanded. This is one of the few things she doesn't forget. Would really appreciate any thoughts you have as I feel like my life has been taken away and I am starting to feel resentful. Thank you.

M1

Welcome to the forum. You are probably facing the need for a higher level of care sooner rather than later. Unfortunately the burdens on you are only likely to increase, but having her at the correct care level should make it somewhat easier on you. It's pretty amazing that she's made it to 95 in an independent fashion.

Marta

I would offer that your mom is probably past the mild stage of dementia. She likely is a candidate for memory care.