Paradoxical Lucidity

Over the past couple of weeks, my mother has declined rapidly. After another evaluation from a different provider, she qualified for hospice this time. She's incontinent, refusing to eat regularly, and sleeping most of the day now. Her ambulation has become more unstable with the shuffling gait so common with dementia. I went to visit her yesterday, and she tried to communicate with me. Her words are still strung together as syllables and sounds that mimic words but are mostly incoherent. She did seem like she understood me, though, and she honestly seemed to recollect the time she broke her hip. It has been a common memory for us to share because her beagle went to get the neighbors for help. She hasn't shown any remembrance of that episode for months. Suddenly yesterday, she did. At least, I am convinced that she did by her manner and her affectionate gratitude toward Teddy (the beagle) who I brought to visit with her. She seemed interested in what I shared with her about my week. We were connecting at least a little bit. She smiled and had familiar facial expressions to animate her word salad. She complimented my hair cut and said, "I love you" back to me when I left. She hasn't said that in months. Has anyone else experienced this kind of unexpected lucidity in their loved one? This awful disease never fails to confuse me.