Memory Loss or Early Stages of Dementia, Any Suggestions?

Updated on May 05, 2014
M.S. asks from Troutdale, OR
21 answers

My mom failed the memory test at her doctor's office, and she is getting more and more forgetful. The doctor put her on a medication to help arrest the deterioration, but that is all. The doctor said she will order more tests in a few months. I am not sure why she is waiting, and my mom didn't ask. But, I will be pushing for them sooner.

We are not sure exactly what is going on, but, I realized that this is getting serious enough that we need to start addressing it. My mom is only 57 so this is very unexpected, I wasn't really thinking of needing to start taking care of her for another 10+ years.

So, my question is do any of you wonderfully insightful people have any suggestions of what I need to look for? What I need to read? I am not sure where to start other than with a basic google search, which I will do, but that can cause more stress than help....is there a special kind of doctor she should be seeing? I am still pretty in shock to realize that my mom is losing her mind literally. Cancer runs in my family, so I had always prepared myself for that, not memory loss. Thanks in advance for any help or tips you might have on where to start. I really appreciate it!

PS She does a lot of puzzles, games, word searches, reading etc. Granted she doesn't do a lot of academic stuff, but she does do things to keep her mind sharp, but I don't think they are working really.

ETA: Thanks everyone. I will start looking into different things. I guess I forgot to mention that my dad is still in the picture, and so he takes care of everything right now. He has made her cut up her credit cards, gives her a budget from him and then she has her own money she earns. She also still works 2 days a week at a local pet store, and animal sits when customers go away on vacation. I was talking to my dad about POW last night, and he is still processing as well. We can't rely on him to be around, because even though he is only 60 he has degenerative disk disease and has been medically disabled for about 7 years. While I don't know how long he will be here, he is not intending to be around for more than 5-8 years because men just don't live long in his family and he has already almost doubled his father's life span. My dad has already been through 2 bouts of skin cancer and prostrate cancer, so we know he is precarious.

I do have a brother/sis in law who will move Mom in with them to do the day to day care when she needs it, we already know that, but they aren't really up to doing the money thing. I am happy to, but my dad is worried about my hubby pressuring me if I have access to Mom's money so that he won't have to work. I can't say he is totally off base, but I sure would like to think so. :( My sister will also take care of her, but again, can't do the money thing either. Thankfully, my dad is still here to help take care of mom....I am the only one who does have the knowledge and experience to take care of the financials, and I will when the time comes.

I will call and talk to her about me going to the doctor with her sometime this week so that we can get some answers and some tests rolling.

She does suffer from depression, it runs in the family, so she has been trying different meds to try and get it under control. She does not sleep well, even with Trazadone she only sleeps about 6 hours a night, and that is with multiple wake-ups. Her blood sugar is high, as well as her cholesterol. She eats 1 meal a day, and then drinks coffee with milk and sweet n low all day. Dad buys her Slimfast drinks so that she can have some nutrition in her. I know she is taking a daily vitamin as well. Oh, and she is on a hormone replacement for menopause, and has been on that for several years.

I am glad to know that it doesn't have to be Alzeimers, and that tests can help figure it out. Thank you for the support and information, I don't know if I got to read all the responses yet, but I will, and I'll go back and reread too. This is just coming up way faster than I expected, I figured we'd get hubby's parents taken care of first since they are a lot older, and then take care of mine.

What can I do next?

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S.R.

answers from Washington DC on

My FIL has Alzheimers, but he's much sharper when he gets moving with exercise etc. The bloodflow really does help him think better.

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X.O.

answers from Chicago on

I wonder if she might be getting too little sleep--that can sometimes impact those tests enough to fail. Any thoughts on that?

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

Go to the web sites for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and the Alzheimer's Association (two different groups) to find out information and get resources. You need information about "early onset dementias." You can't be sure yet whether she has Alzheimer's or even dementia or whether something else is going on to cause memory loss, but you can start with those groups.

If she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another dementia, seek out support groups for family/caregivers in your area and attend them! You will meet others like you who have relatives with these issues and they can truly give you amazing tips and advice, as well as just understanding what you're going through. You can find support group meetings listed in local papers, online and often via your local health care providers, hospital system, etc.

I totally agree with the person posting that you need to get power of attorney right now. Do not wait until she is unable to sign a document freely or you will have go to via a court to be granted power of attorney; do it now while it's easier. DO get a lawyer involved so every document is totally correct. Be sure to get BOTH medical and legal powers of attorney so you have power over both legal affairs and medical decisions! I can't say how vital that is.

Ask the doctor what you did here: Is there a specialist she should see? I would push for testing now, not later, and would have it done at the nearest hospital with a specialist Alzheimer's unit. And be aware that there are other forms of dementias and other conditions that could be at play here, with very different treatments.

Did the doctor check her blood oxygen levels, by the way? And blood sugar levels? Depleted oxygen and low or high sugars can cause mental symptoms that mimic other conditions!

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W.H.

answers from Sacramento on

Start with a MRI, if that doesn't show anything do a PET scan. My mom has Frontotemporal dementia. When they did the MRI they found a benign brain tumor, but no sign of Alzheimers. So the doc ordered a PET scan and it showed that my mother has FTD. Don't wait a few months. Call the doc and insist they start NOW!! Also, do a medication and nutrition check. See what meds she's on and what the dosage is. As we age our bodies can't process meds as well and they can build up causing all kinds of issues. Malnutrition is also a game changer. She might not be remembering to eat, or like my mom, all she eats is sweets. Like the others here mentioned, get all your legal ducks in a row. Power of attorney, a living will, if she owns a home you can put it in a trust. Find out who the beneficiaries are on any IRA's, etc., and if it's not you, have that changed.. I'm so sorry you are facing this.

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E.B.

answers from Beaumont on

You already have some great answers. I agree with getting Power of Attorney etc. My Mom had Alzheimer's and it is so difficult, my heart is with you. I would also talk with her about the items that are precious to her, who she wants to have them etc. and how she wants her affairs handled. If she owns a home I seriously consider the future with that as well. It will be a lot for you or others to handle on top of what else you have to deal with. Safety became a HUGE factor for us. My Mom had gas in her home and I was always fearful she'd turn it on and forget it. I wish you guys the best. You are doing everything you can so just develop a plan and let her have as much say as possible.

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

M.,

You need to make sure you have power of attorney NOW for your mom so you can make the hard decisions.

it took 12 years for Alzheimers to take my neighbor. It was HORRIBLE to watch. So be prepared. Make sure you have a support system in place. Being a caretaker is a VERY HARD job.

You need to talk with the doctor. Make sure your mom has you on her list of people the doctors can talk to. Power of attorney....Living Will - get it ALL DONE NOW before she's over the edge.

Make sure you get a proper diagnosis....is it Alzheimers or is there something else wrong with her? Make sure they run blood tests to make sure she's not deficient in minerals or vitamins that help with brain issues..

she's really young...but Alzheimers can hit at any age, really. A neurologist is usually one to diagnose it...as well as a Geriatric Psychologist. Go to the Alzheimers website...http://www.alz.org/ and find a support group and doctor recommendations from them.

Good luck!!

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D..

answers from Miami on

I am so sorry for you all. This is really young to be going through.

I would not wait a few months. I would write a list of things and tell your doctor that you want each one of them addressed and ruled out. I'd start with physical issues, including TIA's that can LOOK like memory problems, UTI's that can be insidious, arterial blockages, ANY medication she is taking that may be reacting with other medicines or reacting badly to her body chemistry. Research online and find other things that look like Alzheimers. I would NOT just let this go, because 57 is SO young to get Alzheimers. I would let that diagnosis be the last one to accept.

Don't wait for months. Get the PET scan and MRI others are talking about. If there's a brain tumor, you don't have a few months to wait. A neurologist can help with this.

I also totally agree with getting a medical POA and a financial POA for your mom. Help her pare down her belongings to a manageable amount so it's not as hard to take care of her home.

I would be honest with your mom that something is wrong and that you will help her get to the bottom of it. If you aren't honest with her, it will be even scarier. She has hope as long as you two are really taking the bull by the horns here.

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C.W.

answers from Raleigh on

Yes ma'am this is such a devastating situation. My mom has moderate alheizmers and it is extremely difficult for me to deal with. What works for us is keeping a structured routine. My mom's progression has beend pretty dramatic. My mom is 73 now and physically very active its just cognitive impairment. My mom ored to disappear but hasn't done that in a few months after being enrolled in an adult daycare program. Continue to talk to her to gage her reality. My mom still talks about her parents as if they're living but they've been deceased since 2007. Things to look out for would be if your mom makes outlandish comments or repeating questions, talking about specific details from the past as if they recently happened. Inability to maintain a simple everyday conversation without saying something completely off. Acting out of character, she may become violent or curse people out for no reason. Not bathing daily and being unable to properly dress herself, like wearing a leather jacket in the spring time or not trying to match. Also be aware of what she is doing if she's still cooking. And also observe how your mom reacts to time, some people with memory loss and cognitive issues become angry or hard to deal with as the day turns into night, like around dusk. She may act fine during the day but as it progressively gets later she may become confused and irritable.
There are support groups for relatives of dementia patients. One thing I can definitely say is this illness is so life changing and to everyone involved. If you have any siblings try to get them on board with helping bc it is very intensive. Just try to take the good with the bad. Sorry for the long post just trying to think of all the signs.

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

So so sorry! What a devasting diagnosis. While your mom still has lucid moments, I believe it is critical that she gets a living will, if she doesn't already, to state what medical treatment she wants and does not want when she is no longer able to make decisions for herself. She should also appoint a POA to handle her finances and medical decisions.

I have seen POA that are family members choose to not follow their loved ones living will. My advice would be, if you can not carry out your mom's wishes hire an advocate for your mom that will see that her wishes are carried out.

It is also time to start researching nursing facilities so you have a place for her when it is no longer safe for her to live at home. Some of the better facilities have long wait list. I was also told when searching for a facility for my aunt, that nursing homes typically don't like to take younger dementia patients, simply because they are a lot more work than an older dementia patient who are often unable to physically move from their chair.

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

I would recommend talking to an attorney while your mom is still competent. Have her set out her wishes very clearly and set up a trust/POA/other to protect her assets from your husband and other mishandling. You should be able to structure something that allows you to provide for your mother's needs but is not legally available for your husband's use.
I am so sorry you are going through this. My mom is only in her early 60's but is losing her vision and can no longer drive, I have a little idea of how hard these things can be. Just enough to realize how much harder your situation is.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

If she lives alone it might be time to find a reason for her to move into a retirement community or another sort of....not nursing home but with 24 hour people there just in case someone gets sick or something.

Otherwise in the next year or so it would benefit her to move in with you or another family member.

My ex MIL was a wonderful woman. She lived several years with my ex and his wife. They did minimal things for her, she had an advantage aid/home health aid with a supervising RN who'd come in and do her weekly meds and a check up/BP/weight etc....every week.

She was able to live with them quite some time. When it came time to put her in a nursing facility/Alzheimer's unit they knew because she would light up a cigarette while on oxygen...boom! She wasn't burned but it was time.

Putting a parent in a long term care facility is something that should be done when it's time. Unless there is money for full time nursing care at home. It's really h*** o* the family to see that person they love disappear in front of them to be replaced with a confused mean person who suspects everyone of stealing their personal items or even kidnapping them away from their home.

There are meds that will help too. Please see if your mom's insurance company can give you further insight. I do believe that a neurologist is who I'd want to go to for this.

Another thing. It's time to talk to mom. When she's completely lucid, if at all, she needs to sign papers to make you her guardian/power of attorney with some specifications if that makes her feel better. This way she'll know you can't come in tomorrow while she's lucid and feeling normal and put her house up for sale even if she doesn't want...

Get a signature card done for her checking and all other banking accounts, home mortgage, savings/retirement/benefits and any other thing she owns or has put aside. There will come a time where she will need you to instantly take over as her spokesperson both legally and physically.

Having the court order making you legally responsible for her life allows you great ability in deciding her care, her personal business, and more.

If you need someone to talk to about all this I suggest you look in the Sunday paper in the news briefs or where they announce the club/organization meetings for the month. You should see at least one for Alzheimer or dementia support groups. Go, it will help you find resources in your community plus give you information about prospective care givers. You will hear things about those people in these meetings, whether they're good care givers or to stay away.

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

I'm so sorry you are going through this. 57 is awfully young, not that it's easy at any age. It sounds like you've done some organizing with your siblings and some talking with your father, which is terrific. I'm concerned that your father thinks your husband is looking to live off your mother's money, and that you "can't say he's totally off base." That situation has to be resolved so your father isn't preoccupied or distrustful of your involvement. It sounds like you're the only one who can manage the finances, but I have to say, it's very difficult if one sibling is providing care and the other is managing money. You have to really be in sync and the time to work on that is now.

If your mother is aware she is losing ground, now's the time to talk to her. I'm not sure what tests they are doing in a few months. I know you want those done sooner, so I wonder if you should push for that, or if the doctor wants to wait for 3 months specifically to compare that performance to today's baseline assessment? And what will be the course of action? Just more medications?

But as a nutritional educator, I have to ask what the point of the tests is? Are they really just to determine more medication? My immediate impression is that your mother is undernourished and over medicated. I wonder if there's something going on here that's reversible. We've had great results working with comprehensive supplementation, and there's a children's formula that helps with brain development that has had terrific benefits for adults with memory problems or other brain issues after TBI, stroke, or when dealing with things like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Your mother is getting virtually no nutrition, she's loading up on chemical sweeteners, she's got a blood sugar and cholesterol problem, and she's taking a multi vitamin (in the form of a pill I assume) on top of other pills. These pills can cause all kinds of issues in the digestive system which have an impact on the rest of the body, including nutrient absorption. Your father is on the right track giving her SlimFast drinks, but they are so full of emulsifiers and other things that are hard to digest, and I have to wonder about the absorption level. The problem with any premixed drink is that the proteins break down over time (on the shelf) so she's not getting what you think she's getting.

I'm wondering if she having some reaction to all the chemicals she's taking in. Add that to the total undernourishment because of poor absorption, and it's really no wonder she's doing so poorly on so many levels. If she and your father would consider another approach in these three months, I think, with the right advice and support, you might see a substantial improvement.

And just to encourage you in other ways, we are not stuck with our family's illnesses. You mentioned the history of cancer, for example. I work in nutritional epigenetics, which is the science that addresses the factors that turn genes on and off - when there is damage to the material surrounding our DNA, bad genes turn on and good genes turn off. It's not really the DNA that is the problem 98% of the time! You may have seen all the data on epigenetics in the major news magazines, Science magazine, and on Dr. Oz and other medical shows. This idea that we are stuck with "bad genes" is shown to not be the case. There's tremendous work being done with a dietary ingredient that reduces cholesterol, reduces inflammation, improves immunity, has antioxidant effects and even prevents the metastasis of cancer cells. I've been to seminars with the lead scientists who are working with the NIH, the Cancer Research Institute, CDC, American Heart Association and many university research departments. The results are incredible and the side effects are zero. There are some great conference calls and webinars you can get in on if you want to devote the time to listen and learn. I know you have your hands full, but please know that these resources are available.

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M.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi M.,

My first question is she on any medications? If she's on two or more it can cause memory loss/ dementia. I'm 57 and dealt with this in my Mom at a much later age. We took her off all her meds and it went away completely.

If that's not the case, then there is an outside stimuli that has or is causing this. A nutritional deficiency or a major head trauma are the two things that are the primary causes. You can't undo a head trauma but you can supplement missing nutrients that will slow or reverse this issue. My dad had a true diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease for over 15 years. When he died at the age of 94 he still knew who I was. N-acetyl tyrosine, phosphidityl serene, omega 3s, a good absorbable multivitamin are essential. I also gave him a heart supplement that repaired the vascular system (blood needs to get to the brain to carry much needed oxygen).

Doctors are quick to diagnose (they diagnosed my mother with Alzheimer's too and she didn't have it) and they are slow to treat....which can be good because it usually is a drug that is ineffective. The dementia medications have more side effects and simply don't work. Ask any health professional that actually works in an assisted living! I was spending a ton of money at the beginning for Mom and Dad both ( about $1100 a month). I finally found an online company that had the same stuff, high quality and I was spending less than $100 a month.

PLEASE don't give up and please don't believe everything the doctors tell you. My Dad had a quality of life that was beyond most! It's because we handled it as soon as we knew. It will be a battle but is totally worth it.

God bless you! I'm praying!
M.

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D.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Do you live near a large medical center?
Where I live, the medical center has a memory clinic, and at appointments, while the patient does the memory tests, the family talks to a social worker about what to do and what local resources are available. I strongly encourage you to look into something like this.

Given your mom's (relatively young for this) age, I really hope that in addition to the memory tests, the doctor also ordered a CT scan. They need to rule out other causes of memory loss before they can conclude that it's early stage dementia. That should have been one of the first tests. If he didn't have a CT done, I'd get a new doctor.

If it is early stage dementia, you need to consult a lawyer who is expert in estate planning. Depending on how many assets your parents have, an alternative to having one of you in charge of the $ is to set up a outside-managed trust to take care of them (this means that their assets are held in the trust, and an objective outside person is hired to make the financial decisions). Even if you don't want to set up a trust, your parents need to meet with a lawyer now to set up durable healthcare powers of attorney (who can make medical decisions for them if they cannot do it), general power of attorney and if they want that to be limited or unlimited, plus having a will that plans for future possibilities like nursing care.

As an example, if your mom may end up in nursing care, then it may not be the best idea of have her be the beneficiary of your dad's estate, if he passes away. Because then all those assets can be taken in order to pay for the nursing care, and also make her ineligible for Medicaid assistance. It might be better to have his estate set up in some other way - and an estate lawyer is really the best person to advise you on what is best, and how to do it.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

My aunt had dementia. her doctor told us of a clinic that dealt only with dementia issues. She had a series of appointments during which she had multiple psychological and medical tests. I took her to the appointments. I was out of town when they wanted to make an appointment to discuss results. Her son decided to not follow thru and so I don't know the results or possible treatments. Time told us that her dementia was caused by mini strokes and not Alzheimer's. She had a history of heart difficulties.

A friend was diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago and was referred to a clinic at Oregon Health Sciences University. They ruled out Alzheimer's saying the spots on her brain seen in a MRI were calcium deposits and not the plaques of Alzheimer's.

Her dementia is probably caused by uncontrolled diabetes. You mentioned her poor eating habit and high blood sugars. Has she been tested for diabetes? My friend is also an alcoholic which probably contributed to the dementia.

Her dementia is slow in progression. She is in an assisted living facility because of poor physical health. The facility also has a memory care floor. I learned while helping her that nursing homes are a placement of last resort. Assisted living provides all the care that a somewhat physically mobile person needs. The patients I saw in a nursing home were for the most part unaware of their surroundings; confined to a bed or wheel chair.

At my friends facility everyone has their own apartment. The people in memory care can eat with and socialize with those only in assisted living if they choose to do so. I've noticed that several women in assisted living have dementia and live on the assisted living floor and not in memory care. There is a couple living in the apartment next door to my friend. He has dementia. She does not but needs help caring for her husband.

I just realized you are in Portland area. I suggest you call OHSU and ask about resources.

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C.V.

answers from Columbia on

Look into B12 deficiency.

ETA: Please DON'T go to the Dr. Oz website for your research. He's a quack shill and I advise my patients to stay far away from him, Mercola, Natural News and any other site that makes medical claims but has a "shopping cart" link.

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R.X.

answers from Houston on

Your last paragraph... "It does not have to be Alzheimer Disease, says it all. Spend time with her.

One thing I notice as an empty nester is that I often talk to myself, answer myself, and crave a good conversation with a relative or old friend.

Go to her.

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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

If her doctor won't give you info (he/she may not), then try going w/her to
her next dr. appt.
Sleeplessness is common w/Alzheimer patients. Be glad if she is getting
6 straight hrs through the night.
Try limiting her coffee during the day (meaning try cutting it w/decaff
coffee. She doesn't have to know you are doing this.).
Hide sweets from her since she has high blood sugar. Limit high sugar
fruits & encourage other ones.
Encourage her to eat other shakes that you make. (Try banana shakes w/
milk, cinnamon or strawberry shakes w/ice, sugar etc.).
Try a natural sugar substitute.
Poss ____@____.com website/show for some good, healthy alternatives.
Encourage healthy eating by making things she does like.
What about burritos, rotisserie chicken etc?
Try encourage her drinkig other thngs by buying her what she likes to
drink (natural apple juice, unsweetened tea?), water etc.
What about driving? Will she try & take the car? If so, maybe hide her
keys?
Get together a power of attorney so you can make decisions for her if she
becomes incompacitated.
Ask the dr. about giving her a multivitamin.
Try to keep her engaged. Talking w/her, keep up the puzzles, crosswords
etc.
Really try to get her to eat some other well balanced meals. Make what
you think she will like/enjoy/eat.
Don't keep too many sweets in the house.
I'm sorry for what you are going through. Hang in there.

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

oh oh oh, the post that strikes fear into all hearts!
i'm not particularly afraid of death, but THIS terrifies me.
it sounds as if, despite being gobsmacked here, that you and your family are actually being very practical and pro-active.
the doctor is probably proceeding cautiously because she needs the time from the first tentative diagnosis to see how things progress. it's frustrating for us because we want a plan in place now, but often hasty diagnoses just cause more problems. if possible keep a log of what she eats, her meds and her daily behaviors so you can really keep track of the course of her deterioration and not rely solely on memory, which is very subject to emotion.
watching both my dad and my in-laws go downhill has taught me that pharmaceutical toxicity plays a huge, mostly unregarded role in the quality of life of seniors. some medications are life-savers and absolutely necessary, but when people are on a dozen or twenty meds per day and can't remember what they're for and don't keep track of them, bad things happen. my FIL's kidneys are down to 15% capacity, in large part due to poor lifestyle choices but also due to a medication he was put on decades ago which interacted negatively with subsequent medications and the combo trashed his poor already-overstressed kidneys. my dad happily filled all of his lyrica px-es to the point of giving himself a years'-worth supply, and self-medicated (and lied about it) right into the hospital. trying to figure out which meds are actually life-saving and which are feel-good and making things worse is a nightmare tangle. and each set of doctors has different criteria. in a perfect world they'd all consult with each other, but in real life it just doesn't happen. my poor FIL has different doctors for his diabetes, kidney issues, cancer, sleep apnea and his hardworking GP, and the wires get crossed frequently. on top of that he's almost deaf so never hears what they tell him, so my SIL and i make sure that one of us is at all his (and my MIL's) appointments so we can compare notes. it's a lot of work, and we've got a team!
whatever CAN be controlled with diet should be. this in itself is a huge challenge with an older patient. my FIL claims to want to avoid dialysis, but they sneak out to the grocery store and load up on soda, OJ, doughnuts and nitrate-saturated foods. and while i clutch my head, i also feel bad telling an 82 year old man with multiple health issues that he SHOULDN'T eat whatever the hell makes him happy.
sorry, don't mean to keep making this about me. clearly your situation is dinging all my bells.
one of you really has to get POA. it does sound as if you are the most logical choice, and you just have to suck it up and keep your dh out of it. because your mom is so young, this may go on for a long time, and you guys are wise to start getting your team in place now. can you open a joint account with you and your dad?
try cutting her coffee with decaf. she'd be way better off getting her sleep issues under control by dialing back the caffeine rather than such strong sleeping pills. insufficient sleep will send anyone wonky. get her glucerna instead of slimfast. HRT has the potential for some awful side effects, which may be part of what you're seeing, but taking her off them and letting menopause go full-tilt could be counter-productive. maybe see if you can dial the hormones back slowly?
it's very stressful dealing with this situation, and not at all uncommon for the family to fracture over it. one of your biggest priorities is counter-intuitive - ruthlessly schedule some down time for yourself, and encourage your dad and siblings to do the same. the worst that can happen is for you to break down under the pressure, so keep the oxygen mask metaphor in mind.
prayers and strength coming your way, hon. i'm so sorry this is happening.
khairete
S.

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K.H.

answers from Richmond on

sounds like early on set Alzheimer, my first mil and her mother both had it.first thing to do is get power of attorney, both medical and financial..dont put it off because a mentally unstable adult attracts conmen like toddlers with fudge bars are attracted to silk pants!get a post office box for all of your mothers incoming mail, that way when the "easy money credit card offers" start coming in by the truck load, you can cut them off at the pass before your mother even sees them!next thing to do is go through her mail , and cut up the credit cards, that you dont have personal control over, next, make a careful note of any "new friends" that have started coming around since your mothers mental decline,salesmen? show them the door! unscrupulous "friends or neighbors" show them the door! mentally unstable people are very vulnerable to being financially exploited.send me an email at ____@____.com..K. l. howell..more later..medications, whether rx or not, can have serious effects on a persons mental health, especially the older the person is, and most doctors dont bother to figure out just how many meds the older adult is actually taking , they give them more rx's and you the bill, and you the ole, "i dont have to tell you" ..after my first mils death, we found dozens of rxs hidden away in various places around the house, the mil was a hypocondriac and had about six doctors on standby, none of these doctors bothered to cross check her meds , despite at least three of them working out of the same office!

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