84 year old mother, has unspecified dementia, A- Fib, severe osetoporosis, to name a few. We strongly suspect Parkinsonism with Lewy body and or maybe multi-infarct dementia. She is mostly bed bound, but some days able to walk with a walker and assisted about 15 feet. Some times when she tries to stand she just seems to want to fall backwards. She seems unable to lay her head down flat without pillows behind her head.. From behind the neck looks straight and flat and stiff, but she can bend it to the side if she wants too. She has days she is status quo.....sleeps a lot in daytime, can talk, but grunts and moans a lot, says nothing is wrong, will eat, and seems not very confused. Then out of the blue she'll take a nap, and wake up a different person. She talks constantly, and loud, she eats like a horse, sometimes wants up, is more confused, and sleeps none that night, but continues this loud talking. When she does go to sleep, chances are for the next twenty four hours she back in what we call A.D.D.....at deaths door. She sleeps deeply, no eating, and if you wake her, does not seem very confused.....Do these thing sound familiar to anyone? Do they sound like any one type of dementia? And yes she does have the arm tremors, and restless legs.
1 Answer
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First
Lewy Body Dementia is characterized by fluctuations in cognition (and as caregivers know, in everything else.) Also LBD is linked to Parkinson's (both involve the same kind of protein deposits in the brain) and some physical symptoms are similar to that disease.
I think your best bet is finding a clinic or a doctor who is willing and experienced at trying to come up with a specific tentative diagnosis. There are different treatment plans for different kinds of dementia, so that can be worthwhile.
On the other hand, no matter what kind of dementia she has, the core of treatment is addressing the symptoms, one by one.