The last couple of days my mother will get confused and restless mostly in the evening hours , the other night I was trying to help her go to bed and she was angry and would not let me help her my brother finally helped her and she responded well to him. But I have an older sister and she get angry and confused also when my mother gets restless she can't handle her , I am the one who has to tell her to leave the room and let me calm my mother down. After she gets clam everything is ok. Last night again she would not go to sleep but she was tried and needed to rest. I still give her pills in ice cream and this seems to work well. Please give me some advice on this matter and thank you for all your advice from other people. Rose Mary
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Q: Mother confused
Answers (3)
10/18/09 2:56pm
Hi, Rose Mary,
What you've described sounds like your mom is experiencing sundowning. Christine Kennard wrote an excellent piece about sundowning that may be of help (http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/57548/22221/sundowning). Also, I think that your tag-team approach (having whichever sibling is able to get through to your mom at that moment provide care for her) is brilliant. I'm sure other readers wish they were as fortunate as you are to have good assistance from their brothers and sisters.
Take care and keep up the good work. And as always, keep us posted!
Dorian
10/17/09 12:49pm
We had this experience that my FIL was agitated by the new overnight caregiver (not used to the change) and he didn't go to bed at night in the beginning. The home care nurse suggested giving him benadryl to make him sleep. But we didn't (we were not sure it was the caregiver's problem or his sleeping problem.) However we did give him benadryl twice when he felt his throat was irritated (allergy and minor swalloing problem) and he was quiet down but didn't really go to bed. He took naps on the sofa all afternoon. However, he got a little more confused after he came out of the drug's effect (after the naps.) But we had to do it because he wanted to go to the hosptial for nothing (just itch in his throat and he claimed he had tumor) and he hates hospitals!
Also, the person next to him is important. It is right you asked the elder sister to leave the room for a while. If she likes your brother, it is good. Maybe she thinks of him as his Dad. As long as it works, it is good. It is not the elder sister's fault. She is just not used to her. If she comes around more, it may be helpful for her to know the sister.
Take care,
Nina
11/10/09 1:14pm
My Mother was diagnosed with dementia over a year ago. Since then she has rapidly progressed into her last stages. She is on all kinds of medication. I do notice a chance since her doctor put her on the Exelon patch as well as the namenda. He told me to stop the Namenda, do the patch and if I wanted, use my discretion as her caregiver, and could possibly use both together. Well it seems since I've been doing that she has gotten much more confused, wets the bed every single night, walks around in a daze. She also has become much worse since she lost her mother a year ago in September. I feel that when it's her time, my Mother will die with a broken heart.
Her doctor also has put her on small dosages of Haldol. Is that uncommon? I have 2 sisters and one brother and no one bothers with my mom. I had to quit my job and now I have a 24 hour a day job here caring for my mother and I am completely going out of my mind.
Could you please give me some advice. Thank you so much.
Debbie
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