My 90 year old mother lives with me and is still quite capable of doing everyday tasks. She even still drives!
She's always had a bit of an edge to her but I've been noticing lately that she has frequent mood swings. She flipped out on me the other day over nothing. (She was looking for her bin with Christmas decorations.) She gets so annoyed when her phone rings because she thinks it will be a telemarketer she even complains about her junk mail. Frankly it's driving me crazy. She hung up on an important call the other day because she thought it was a telemarketer. I'm starting to wonder if these actions may be pointing to the onset of dementia. If it's not that, then she's just a miserable, unhappy woman. I don't know what to do! My 3 brothers are worthless so I can't turn to them.
She has been in AL only for 6 mos. and they suggested that she go to a special clinic to have her meds adjusted. These clinics are called "senior behavioral clinics"--or something like that. They kept my mom for ten days and gave her a good "tune up." The result? She is no longer paranoid and seems quite content. She is getting much stronger anti-anxiety meds and also memory meds. And I no longer dread visiting her.
I think these clinics are a real miracle. They exist because we need them! The alternative is to go to the doctor every two weeks for a year or so trying to get the meds right. And the adjustments will be made on what we report--not on what an expert observes. We are not experts. So, my advice would be to talk to her family doctor or a geriatric doctor and find out about this. Your mom may well need anti-anxiety meds even though she has no memory loss. Lucky for you. The memory loss is a huge problem that causes much friction in a family.
Good luck and a big hug!
I hope that she has appointed you poa and Healthcare proxy.
Yes, well, I considered my mother to be a grouchy old trouble-maker. Turns out, she needed a tune up! Who knew?
No one could be more surprised and grateful than I am.
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp