Dementia in close-up
Last night was my first real encounter with a person in an Alzheimer meltdown - strictly speaking in the form of LBD, Lewy body dementia, but I'd never heard of that before. A local friend brought her husband over (we live walking distance apart) for me to persuade him she really was his wife and not a dangerous intruder in their house. He's at the stage where he fluctuates between seemingly normal, if a little disconnected, all the way through to angry aggression, and back again. It took 20 minutes or more to convince him to give her back her phone and house keys.Thing was, and why the blog, she's convinced his worst episodes are shortly after she's given him his sedation meds, twice a day, which are supposed to stop him stressing and fretting constantly. Does anyone here know much about the disease, have you any input? She is on groups and getting support and a few others on her groups have also noticed similar reactions but doctors insist it is not the medication but the nature of the illness. I wondered if anyone here was clued up on the topic.
They've been good friends to me but I had no idea how bad things occasionally are as up to now I've only seen him during his vague-but-friendly stages. Last night tipped once or twice towards scary. So weird that he knew me, and eventually trusted me to be telling the truth, but didn't know his wife of many years. So, another question, and yes we're not supposed to ask questions on blogs but this is more of a conversation - any advice on the best way to react, if (when?) it happens again -
Can't ask on any other social media as this is my only anonymous outlet.
Comments (19)
Sleep deprivation is a symptom of LBD...there are meds that are not recommended in person's with LBD...the care providers should know...
Unfortunately...the disease process is quite difficult to witness and it can be daunting to treat and care for the person with the disease...in the late stages it is not uncommon to hallucinate...or have restless tendencies...
The person's afflicted can snap out of it sort to speak in minutes, hours or days...it depends...
Glad he is in care...but if your friend has questions about the medications...she should ask the care providers or use the internet to get information...
This is a progressive disease...so not to be too alarmed at the increasing behavior...
Consider the time when the medication wears off and the need of the second dose...something to look into...
Some further reading at this website...
Forgot to mention...about how to deal with dementia in any form...distraction is a way of getting the person to focus in on something else...
By AL means stay at a safe distance if aggressive behavior is witnessed...no harm done at a distance and the patient will not be harmed...
Keep sharp objects away and breakable items...think environmental safety...including items that you can trip on like rugs...
Hope this is not too obvious...
She is the one giving him his meds twice a day and she is the one who is able to observe his wellbeing and behaviour all day. Unless she has an amoeba for a brain, it's not unreasonable to think she has observed this pattern accurately.
It may not be a causal relationship, but a correlative one, however.
It may be an additive in the medication rather than the active ingredient, for example.
It may be something that happens alongside taking his medication, like your friend's anxiety level going up waiting for the sedation to take effect, or waiting for the anticipated melt-down - her agitation may trigger her husband.
It could be anything, like eating a meal with medication, that is the causal link.
I'm sure your friend has her hands full and that caring for her husband is exhausting, but it might be worth her starting a detailed diary of her husband's patterns - time, behaviour, foods, sleep, meds, weather, whatever. In this way she may see other patterns and/or have an evidenced based observation to take to her husband's doctor.
I feel a little annoyed for your friend that her observation was dismissed without any exploration.
I hope your friend's husband can regulate his medicine so his episodes can be minimalized. It is progressive with no cure as Loulou stated.
Sleep deprivation is a symptom of LBD...there are meds that are not recommended in person's with LBD...the care providers should know... the meds are supplied by his doctor
Unfortunately...the disease process is quite difficult to witness and it can be daunting to treat and care for the person with the disease...in the late stages it is not uncommon to hallucinate...or have restless tendencies...
The person's afflicted can snap out of it sort to speak in minutes, hours or days...it depends... so - no known techniques.
Some further reading at this website...
Forgot to mention...about how to deal with dementia in any form...distraction is a way of getting the person to focus in on something else... I think that's what his wife was trying for by bringing him to my house
By ALL means stay at a safe distance if aggressive behavior is witnessed...no harm done at a distance and the patient will not be harmed... Keep sharp objects away and breakable items...think environmental safety...including items that you can trip on like rugs...Hope this is not too obvious...no idea what changes she has made at the house but those are all sensible suggestions
(I feel) a little annoyed for your friend that her observation was dismissed without any exploration.
A friend comes over to sit with him Wednesday mornings so we can catch up tomorrow over coffee and I can pass on these comments
I hope your friend's husband can regulate his medicine so his episodes can be minimalized. It is progressive with no cure as Loulou stated.
knowing he can't help himself wouldn't make me any less nervous of him either.
Hope your friends get the support they need.
knowing he can't help himself wouldn't make me any less nervous of him either.
Hope your friends get the support they need.
Put him in a home, how safe is he from being abused.
like you said, life is a b*tch.
Enjoy and make the most when you can
sorry for your friends.
Your friend needs to know that she is not abandoning him...she is doing herself no good by dealing with this by herself...a male care helper may help...but better to try and get him into a care facility as it does take time...at least here anyways...
I am not sure if the Dr. is ignoring her concerns or not...despite what another here has mentioned...but by the sounds of things...the husband probably needs care 24/7...
The sex conversations...I am being polite here...no surprise...many people with or without diseases that affect the mind happens...
The restlessness at night is called sun downers...increased agitation...wandering and inability to focus or make sense of what's going on...quite scary for him...if you think about it...
The aggressive nature is a problem...and nothing worse than care giver burn out...and getting hurt in the process of caring for him...
The daughter is right...he needs to be in a facility...nothing is stopping your friend from visiting regularly and going home to peace and quiet to sleep...her health matters too!
Anyhoo...hope your friend listens to some advice from others and perhaps takes a tour in a facility to see what they provide...no harm in that...
A friend comes over to sit with him Wednesday mornings so we can catch up tomorrow over coffee and I can pass on these comments
One of the traits of my health condition is a hypersensitivity to medications, additives and anything psychoactive. I've never been particularly tolerant of caffeine, but took me a long time to work out after becoming ill that the residual caffeine in one cup of decaffeinated tea was enough to keep me awake for about 24 hours. I thought it was the medication I was on that was causing wretched insomnia, but it was just making me dehydrated...and there's nothing like a harmless decaf cuppa for quenching your thirst, eh?
Put him in a home, how safe is he from being abused.
like you said, life is a b*tch.
Enjoy and make the most when you can
sorry for your friends.
Thanks for the answers, much appreciated and so much to think on.
One of the traits of my health condition is a hypersensitivity to medications, additives and anything psychoactive. I've never been particularly tolerant of caffeine, but took me a long time to work out after becoming ill that the residual caffeine in one cup of decaffeinated tea was enough to keep me awake for about 24 hours. I thought it was the medication I was on that was causing wretched insomnia, but it was just making me dehydrated...and there's nothing like a harmless decaf cuppa for quenching your thirst, eh?