New Caregiver Advice Needed

adg5020

Hello - I'm new to this caregiving role and am navigating these responsibilities on top of raising 2 young kids, looking for a new job, and all the other things. Where are the best places to start in seeking help and locating resources? My mother currently has a pseudodementia diagnosis and I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with this type of condition?

towhee

Pseudodementia basically means that someone has dementia symptoms that are caused by something other than dementia. The causes that come to mind are thyroid problems, B vitamin problems, medication side effects, depression. There are other causes. Almost all of them can be treated. So at this point in time the doctor does not think your mother has dementia, although that belief can change if treatment does not improve your mother's condition. Your first step is to drill down into that diagnosis and find out what the doctor thinks is causing the symptoms, what treatment is being given, and when your mother's condition will be reevaluated. With depression especially, if there is no improvement and the symptoms worsen, the diagnosis might change.