Hello! My mom is 89 and has always been pretty good physically and mentally. She has some memory problems at times but nothing that excessive or worrisome.
For two days now, she's been confused. This morning, she was asleep in the living room chair. I woke up her up (it was 8 AM) and she was really out of it, which I guess could be normal if she was in deep sleep. She asked me who the kid was that was there earlier (there was no kid) and said he was watching TV but must have left for school.
She was convinced it was 5 PM and not 8 AM when we left to get breakfast. At 11 AM, she was sound asleep in her chair, so she woke up and of course was confused. She said she was going to get up and get dressed but earlier she said she had already had her shower. Two hours later, she's in the shower.
Now, she said to me "How's the family?" I said, "what family" and she said "my brothers and sisters". I told her they had all passed and she seemed surprised. I asked her why she was asking about family members that she knows are deceased and she said "I know they are dead. I just say things just to get you riled up." Then she said, she never asked about her dead relatives.
She refuses to go to the doctor and I'm trying to get her to take a UTI test but she won't.
I have no idea what is going on with her. I said I'd call the ambulance but she says she will refuse to let them in as her mind is sound and all my questions I'm asking her are making her "lose her mind."
What is going on here?
Also, she has lost a good amount of eyesight as she has cataracts and glaucoma and refuses to do anything about it.
I'm going to the drugstore to get some OTC UTI treatment and hopefully she will take that and some B-12. I gave her a Drip Drop in water the past 3 days as I think she's dehydrated as she loves coffee.
It could be a UTI or dementia.
It could also be other things , pneumonia , dehydration , sepsis , a vitamin deficiency.
Alot of things can cause confusion in the elderly .
That being said on again off again confusion with hallucinations ( seeing people who aren’t there) is the hallmark for Lewy Body dementia .
When she claimed she only asked you about dead relatives to rile you up , that was her way of covering up what is going on. She’s having memory problems and confabulation .
THERE IS NO OTC ANTIBIOTIC for a UTI. She's being childish by not simply peeing in a cup at an Urgent Care! They can RX her antibiotics and get her started. UTIs in the elderly are serious. Talking all her gibberish/hallucinations could also be a possible mini stroke.
Tell her if she won't go, you are calling 911. Her hallucinations (talking about the young boy) is upsetting, and yes, she has you all riled up!! Her attitude sucks.
Put your foot down. Ask her if she wants to move into a HOME next, you aren't playing games.
There is no OTC treatment for UTIs. Cranberry pills don't work.
You can buy test strips for urine to test for a UTI
Untreated glaucoma will lead to blindness, and so will cataracts
I would tell mother you're calling 911 and if she refuses to go with the EMTs, you're placing her in a nursing home. Tell the EMTs (privately) you think she may have had a stroke due to sudden outrageous behavior and seeing dead relatives.
Good luck to you.
be sure to get her checked out for TIAs too!!!
I wish you had a geriatric specialist available to you. Perhaps her PCP can refer you?
CBC w/auto differential
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Magnesium
Urinalysis with reflex to microscopic and reflex to culture
If you're able to get her to a naturopath, you're able to get her to a neurologist as well.
If dementia is going on with mom, know that it doesn't present itself exactly the same 24/7. Dementia has highs and lows, like anything else, good times and bad. An elder doesn't act unhinged constantly, or hallucinate all the time...just sometimes. Get mom tested so you know what you're dealing with. A full medical evaluation consists of body and mind, at 89.
Good luck to you.
these are similar symptoms of an ischemic stroke, cardiovascular episode, dementia related event, cognitive decline or impairment, as well as many other medical conditions. A call to the physician or a referral or report from the doctor following the diagnosis would be helpful.
delirium
my dads was his medication and not enough water drunk
fir my dad it was the extracting osin killing tablets which all break down to morphine
we spoke with Dr
and he advised only take them in extreme pain otherwise stick to paracetamol
and increase water which was a challenge but sips throughout the day - in juice- in firm of melon sort of thing ( altho be wary of fruit juice in general as it contains natural sugar)
my father returned to normal
sometimes delirium can be permanent
sometimes not
I’d speak with her doctor about a review of the medication
ensure she’s eating or have dr prescribe contact meal replacement drinks ( small- less to drink)
be a use it could be string medication in an empty tummy
speak to her dr
increase her water
so nothing excessive or it will just run right thru her
and see if any improvement- but highlight to her dr
best.
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.13667
In part, it says:
A recent Mayo Clinic study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia:
The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association investigated lucid episodes in people living with later stages of dementia, providing insights into how these occurrences reveal themselves.
The findings showed that 75% of people having lucid episodes were reported to have Alzheimer’s Disease as opposed to other forms of dementia.
Researchers define lucid episodes as unexpected, spontaneous, meaningful and relevant communication from a person who is assumed to have permanently lost the capacity for coherent interactions, either verbally or through gestures and actions.
Family caregivers of people living with dementia were surveyed and asked about witnessing lucid episodes. Researchers then classified the episodes into types.
The study aimed to determine if there were distinct patterns or types of lucid episodes that could be used to understand why or when they happen.
Joan Griffin, Ph.D., lead author of the study: "We determined the types of episodes based on the circumstances surrounding the episode, the quality of the communication during the episode, how long it lasted, the level of cognition of the person living with dementia before the episode and the proximity to death," says Joan Griffin, Ph.D.,lead author of the study.
Gena / Touch Matters
https://www.quora.com/How-does-a-dementia-patient-have-brief-periods-of-lucidity-Is-there-a-known-cause-for-when-and-how-this-happens
In part, it says:
Margalo Eden, MPH, MA, CMCDP, Former Memory Care Director
There could be several reasons for this, and they may depend upon:
The underlying cause of the dementia
The circumstances surrounding the “brief periods of lucidity”
What exactly you are defining as “lucidity”
Underlying causes:
Alzheimer’s, for instance, tends to disrupt short-term memory first, and generally takes a while to interfere with long-term memory, especially memories from the person’s early life. This is particularly true for memories that are connected to strong emotions. If Alzheimer’s is the source of the person’s dementia, then the person may appear confused from moment to moment but appear completely lucid and be able to answer in vivid, accurate detail when asked about a memory from long ago.
If the dementia is caused by a vascular issue, then only a particular area of the brain may be affected - the one most closely associated with the blood vessel(s) in question. This can leave many other brain functions working quite well.
If medication is the source of the person’s dementia, then skipping a dose or having the prescribed dosage lowered may relieve the dementia symptoms.
These are only a few examples.
Circumstances: The circumstances surrounding the lucid moments may help explain them, as well. For instance, in the example above, the person with Alzheimer’s was asked about a long-ago memory. A change in environment can either exacerbate or relax confusion.
Something that triggers happy and familiar emotions may temporarily relax some dementia symptoms, while new, overstimulating surroundings may increase confusion. Hearing music, or seeing photos, or a classic car, or a home, or fairgrounds, or something else that evokes pleasant feelings and memories, can also temporarily transport a person with dementia to an earlier time when they weren’t confused, and all seems alive and orderly.
Gena / Touch Matters
Brain Function Fluctuations:
Damaged, diseased brains may not function consistently. Temporary, positive shifts in brain chemistry can cause short-lived, clear, coherent, and, rational moments.
Delirium (Medical Factors):
Often, confusion, is actually delirium caused by infections (e.g., urinary tract), pain, medications, or, dehydration. Treating these issues can temporarily resolve the confusion.
Environmental Factors:
Changes in surroundings, loud noises, or, high, stress, levels can trigger sudden, confusion.
Terminal Lucidity:
Sometimes, individuals, experience a "burst" of clarity near the end of life, allowing them to communicate, clearly, for a few hours, or, days before, returning to a, state of confusion. Cleveland Clinic
Dementia patients experience alternating lucidity and confusion due to fluctuating brain functions, environmental changes (stress/fatigue), or underlying medical issues like infections. These moments, sometimes called paradoxical lucidity, occur when damaged brain networks temporarily stabilize, allowing, in some cases, a brief, final surge of mental clarity. Wikipedia
Key Reasons for Fluctuating Mental States:
Brain Function Fluctuations: Damaged, diseased brains may not function consistently. Temporary, positive shifts in brain chemistry can cause short-lived, clear, coherent, and, rational moments.
Delirium (Medical Factors): Often, confusion, is actually delirium caused by infections (e.g., urinary tract), pain, medications, or, dehydration. Treating these issues can temporarily resolve the confusion.
Environmental Factors: Changes in surroundings, loud noises, or, high, stress, levels can trigger sudden, confusion.
Terminal Lucidity: Sometimes, individuals, experience a "burst" of clarity near the end of life, allowing them to communicate, clearly, for a few hours, or, days before, returning to a, state of confusion. Cleveland Clinic
Why the Shift Back to Confusion?
Once the temporary, surge in brain activity passes or the, external, stressor is removed, the brain returns to its underlying, diseased state. These, episodes are often, unexpected, and, their, intensity can vary, from, a few, minutes to a few, hours. Cleveland Clinic
Gena / Touch Matters
“She has a bacterial infection and is now on antibiotics for 7 days, twice a day. Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply, it is much appreciated.”
Thank you for letting us know.
these things may help doctor figure out if something untoward is happening with her.