My family member with dementia was at the time of placement reasonably ambulatory with cane or walker. Mentally engaged. Recognized family members and others routinely involved in her daily life (caregivers, neighbors, etc). She was moved to NH (3 weeks ago). I went to see her on a Friday, Tuesday went back to find her slumped in wheel chair, no longer walking, not engaged at all and did not appear to recognize or respond to me. She is and has been for years not able to articulate, so is non verbal so I cannot ask her about herself. I am concerned and frightened by the sudden change. My imagination and guilt for putting her there is running rampant. Is this sudden change a normal progression or could there be something more sinister to her decline?
Pgross01 is referring to this sentence in the original post: "She is and has been for years not able to articulate, so is non verbal so I cannot ask her about herself."
The OP does describe that her mother engaged well until very recently, I agree with you, but evidently not by talking. There are other ways for a person to engage with others - smiling, reaching out to touch, stroking hands, just for example.
And the OP asks whether "this is normal progression." The OP does mean, is this normal progression of dementia - see her profile. It doesn't sound typical to me; but not because I'm assuming the lady doesn't have dementia at all. Where did you get the idea that if somebody recognises her family members she doesn't have dementia?
Also, did the hospital staff complain that your family member was combative?
If so, they may be using "chemical contraints."....these are drugs that keep the patient submissive and often prevent movement.
https://nursinghomeabuseguide.com/abuse-injuries/elderly-restraints/chemical/
Here are a few paragraphs from the website:
"Chemical restraint is defined as the use of any type of drug to restrict an individual’s movement or freedom. Chemical restraint may be used solely for the purpose of sedating an individual. In most cases, chemical restraint typically refers to psychopharmacological drugs, such as sedatives and anti-anxiety medications.
It is illegal for nursing homes to administer chemical restraint to residents unless they are used to treat medical conditions or prevent residents from causing physical harm to themselves or other individuals. Federal and state laws aim to minimize the use of unnecessary drugs, especially chemical restraints.
Chemical Restraint Use
Chemical restraint use is highly controversial. In a nursing home setting, federal law strictly prohibits the use of chemical restraint for the sake of staff convenience, discipline, or other non-medical reasons.
It may only be used in instances where a patient’s behavior jeopardizes the safety of himself or herself, or the safety of other residents or staff members.
Even in these scenarios, the duration and nature of the chemical restraint must be outlined in the resident’s medical file.
It is important to note that there is no current drug that has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use as a chemical restraint.
In fact, the FDA states that roughly 15,000 nursing home resident deaths each year result from unnecessary anti-psychotic use."