Just this week dad's dementia got a whole lot weirder. He is sometimes totally OK and making sense (mostly), but then an hour later, he isn't recognizing things, is choosing weird nouns for things that don't fit (like pointing to a walker and saying "dog")... and this afternoon I found him out of bed having stripped himself naked. All of this happened just today!
He is on his way to memory care but currently in inpatient hospice. The good news is that rehab did make him stronger and he's eating well... can walk 183 feet, but is still wobbly when he walks....the bad news is he's stronger and now capable of getting out of bed and doing weird stuff.
I'm presuming he's working his way to a change to a new normal when he will stabilize at whatever that is.... or does this bizarre hourly differences become the new normal?
I think your best strategy is to have no expectations of how it's going to go. I just got back from visiting my 99-yr old aunt with dementia. My cousin (her caregiver) told me the very day I arrived, she started the behavior of screaming "HELP!" really loud and often. On a trip to the bank to take care of some PoA paperwork, someone called the police because she was in the car yelling for help.
I recommend you watch some Teepa Snow videos on YouTube. She explains a lot about dementia, what it is, how it is manifested in people who suffer from it and how to engage better with our LOs. May you gain peace in your heart on this journey.
Glad that he is on his way to memory care.
Although he's going into MC, remember you are still his advocate. You are still caring for him. Even when you visit, you'll witness changes in behavior and not know what to expect. Anticipating a visit with my wife in MC made me quite anxious - I never knew what to expect. Is she having a good day or bad day? Will I find her crawling on the floor or sleeping in someone else's room? Despite how it may sound, her care was excellent. Most of the time the staff took the position that if her behavior wasn't dangerous or disruptive, they wouldn't interfere. So don't be alarmed at your dad's behavior when you visit, as long as you feel he's getting proper care. It's just the nature of the beast called dementia.
You may want to read “When Someone You Know is Living in a Care Community” by Rachael Wonderlin.
Agreed that it could be UTI.
I think that the hallucinations can be treated with medications. My husband hallucinated too before he was put on Seroquel. (There are many other similar drugs out there, but this one works for him.) If you have not done so already, talk to his neurologist who can prescribe a medication for him. As in all meds, it will take some time to kick in. Don’t expect overnight miracles.
Good luck.
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