What is Dementia
Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Particularly affected areas may be ...
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vascular dementia
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Hi Everyone - Has or is anyone dealing with a loved one with vascular dementia? My mom has been in the very early stages of being diagnosed (the pace of the medical system is driving me nuts). Well, the other day she was admitted to the hospital due to a gall bladder attack, which was removed. Well, her reaction to the anesthesia was shocking - almost like it flipped some switch that caused a nervous breakdown/angry/delusional/had-to-be-restrained. The doctors assured me it was not uncommon and she would forget everything the next day. Well, she didn't. As a result she has decided she hates me, doesn't trust me, I am a liar etc etc. Now, we brought her into our home 6 months ago with the hope her small place (500 miles away, down by my sis) will sell at which time we would renovate our 2 car attached garage into a nice apartment for her. Well - it hasn't sold yet and mom has gotten very anxious. Anyway - she now refuses to come back to our home - wants nothing to do with me and said she will "send for her things". All of this totally out of the blue. The hospital called in a psychiatrist and he suspects vascular dementia, started her only last night on the lowest does of Resperidol (sp?) and said she could probably be discharged in a day or 2. Yikes!!!!! She has threatened to kill herself if sent to our house. I am beside myself with worry and concern. She has no money so placement will be hard, if that is the route we choose. She still has many of her faculties - enough to be dangerous. She presents well with medical staff and can really fake stuff. The psychiatrist told me that often dementia or psychosis patients will often turn on the most recent caregiver. Still - I am freaked. Anyone been through something like this?
Posted on 05/30/08, 06:05 am |
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I understand. My mom has dementia. Do the best you can and it's ok to be frustrated.
Learn about therapeutic lying, letting the eccentricity be,the switching of roles, have compassion for yourself first.. may YOU be happier amongst it all! Get her an MRI, see if there are meds ot slow it down like Aricept or Namenda, make sure someone else gives her the meds, let her bein charge on whaever does not cause her harm, protect your own boundaries, let go of the stories or learn to laugh at them or just get the lesson, expect to have to repeat, get advise on placement and how to work the system.. with no money medicaid can pay though spend all your efforts finding that place for her.. let go of guilt and know feeling guilty is the natural response we all have to seeing this happen to our loved ones.. 
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I don't know if you are still on this site, but my father first started acting strange after his gallbladder surgery several years ago. Then, he had a stroke. He is in advanced stages of dementia. No facility would take him and we have him at home with 24/7 care. It is very hard on my mother, but we have found this was the only acceptable place for him. Have you tried Seroquel in addition to the low dose of Risperdol? That's what we have my father on.
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