For the past 2 months I have seen that my mother's memory has slipped very quickly. She now thinks that her mother is still living at her house and that she needs to be told where mom is. Mom wants someone to come pick her up and take her home or she asks me to call Dad and have him go get her. Her mother died 35 years ago and Dad died 18 years ago. Mom thinks that she is 70 yrs old because she can't count beyond 1999. Is this sudden jump in memory problem something that Alzheimer's people get? Other than memory problems and her needing help with toileting and bathing, physically Mom can still move around fairly well. We insist that she use a walker for balance but more do because it slows her gait down. I am going to call moms doctor for clarification of her diagnosis.
Can anybody tell me what else I should be looking for? Her care giver at the assisted living home is a sweetheart and just says that everything is ok and that this is just normal progression. She still has mom participate in all that they do during the day and tries to keep her distracted so that she does not think about wanting to leave.
Ultimately, the tests won't tell you anything new. I wouldn't worry about missing those tests.
If your mom has dementia, it's going to progress down a path until the end. You have to plan ahead, and be prepared to deal with the surprises each day will throw at you. The better educated you are on dementia in general, the better prepared you can be.
My mom lost her executive functions before memory. She couldn't prepare food, laundry, keep house, or pay bills. She had some rapid changes and went into 24/7 nursing care, and then into the secure memory care unit because she was an "elopement risk". She is still in that unit but classified as hospice now. This site has done wonders to inform me, teach me, and give me a place to connect to people who have seen & been through it all.
So what the neurologist declined to do was a brain scan to help determine which kind of dementia Mom probably has? Is that the situation? Did the doctor explain the reason for no brain scan? What is the reason you want one? Did you explain that to the doctor?
Memory slipping quickly in a two-month period is "normal" progression and could happen in any kind of dementia.
When I called yesterday to tell the caregiver what the Dr had said she had noticed the timing also. She told me that she was trying new activities with my mom in order for Mom not to get stuck in what I call a "loop", distracting Mom from her thought patterns and it was helping.
Go to the top of the page, click on Elder Care, and then choose Alzheimer's & Dementia to get to that big section.
https://www.agingcare.com/Alzheimers-Dementia
Ultimately, you need to know that assisted living won't be the right place for her indefinitely. She will need a higher level of care at some point and possibly a specialized memory care unit. Plan ahead!
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