My mom is in an ALF and up until recently was content, all things considered. She has Alzheimer’s and often feels like she’s in the ‘middle of nowhere’ even though she’s 10 minutes from me. (She’s been there almost 9 months now, after living in her home for 53 years.) Her evening calls are on an uptick all the sudden and she is almost in a panic. She wants to go back to her house. She wants to die. She says no one visits or calls where she’s at (which is not true, she just forgets people an hour or two after the encounter.) I have jumped in the car and gone to her which helps, but I can’t do it every time. (Last night I was at a wedding.) It is heartbreaking to hear her so lost in her own mind. Talking her off the ledge over the phone is pretty impossible. Is this just something we as loved ones have to accept as part of this awful disease, or are there strategies for helping our LO get through these episodes? Thank you!
Part of this you DO have to learn to deal with b/c even with meds, your mom is likely to still have her bad times with Sundowning. Hopefully there is enough staff at her AL to help her through the tough times. Mom's MC staff were amazing with her. Have you tried giving her a baby doll? Many women with ALZ are very comforted by taking care of a baby in swaddling, as they did when they were young mothers. Give it a try, what have you got to lose? You can search 'lifelike baby dolls' on eBay and buy one for a reasonable cost online.
Wishing you the best of luck!
2. Talk to the ALF about having them check in with her at her usual "panic time".
3. When mom calls, tell her that there people she can talk to in her residence. Encourage her to go to the common area.
Closing blinds or drapes so he would not see his reflection in the glass at night helped.
Staying on a schedule helped.
Melatonin did little for him.
Each person is different so what works for one may not work for your mom.
It is very possible that your mom would now do better in MC rather than AL. It would have a discussion with administration. It might even be possible for her to spend a few hours in MC for a bit she will get used to staff and get to know some residents. (this might be like her "adult day care" for the time she is there.
I am a firm believer in medication that will help reduce anxiety, there is no need for someone to be in distress when it can be lessened or prevented. This is a discussion for her doctor, and it might take a bit of tweaking to get the right med and right dose.
She was assessed by an elder psychiatrist and he: 1. Diagnosed her with stroke-related dementia and 2. Removed all the anti-depressants that the hospital docs gave her and 3. Prescribed her with olanzapine.
Every night she takes a small dose about 30 minutes before she goes to bed. Then, she sleeps through the night and wakes up around 8am, ready to go.
It really helped my mom to get a correct diagnosis. The caseworkers kept saying things like she was just depressed and needed cheering up. The elder psychiatrist said, “No, this is a result of the stroke and no amount of anti-depressants will help. “ Then, he explained how stroke-related dementia worked, so that I understood. I still think he’s one of the better doctors I worked with while caring for my mom.
I wish you well and hope you have success!
I was advised to get them a good, long time outside in the sun each day.
My mother's doctor started her on a med for chronic anxiety which she has had all her life and included panic attacks. She loves her lavender/chamomile tea for the evenings. Her sundowning seemed to be a stage that has now pretty much passed. Mother has an evening sitter that arrives at 5:00 and this also has helped a lot.
Maybe one of your mom's friends could visit in the evening. I am sure AL's staffing is reduced in the evenings. My mom also learned deep breathing techniques to calm her down. Unfortunately her anxiety raises her BP too.
Maybe plan a visit a couple of times a week around the time that these begins. Or hire an aide that can sit with her for a couple of hours when she usually starts having issues.
Good luck.
Also have all levels checked. Vitamin D deficiency can also contribute. As another person mentioned, take her out in the sun daily.
I don't think most people realize a lot of 'dementia' comes from other sources that seem to have nothing to do with the mind. That's where I'd start. What meds is she taking? What dosages? (Most doctors OVERDOSE elderly.) Does she have an infection? Even if she has Alz, checking all these can some times reduce the ALZ symptoms. Good luck.
He rented a Richway BioMat heating pad for his mother. I will give you a link to read up about it. It is very expensive, but you can rent one to give it a try.
https://www.biomat.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4uaUBhC8ARIsANUuDjUB4Ldbk6DN5PDxugjdXn2z-0TIijhHen2cvnmNWE7rSA0ocqMzuYQaAsAOEALw_wcB
They also make a BioMat Mini which is less expensive and also available to rent. Go to Google and punch in "Rent BioMat mini in *your area*" and see what comes up.
This poster swore by this BioMat and said it turned his mom from a lion into a lamb; that she'd calm down immediately when he'd place it on her recliner, and she'd go right to sleep.
I cannot vouch for the BioMat personally, but just tell you what one of our posters had to say about it. I thought it would be worth mentioning to you.
The other thing I forgot to mention is a weighted blanket............I have a 15 lb one myself and have found that when I'm anxiety ridden, if I lay it on top of my body, it puts me to sleep almost immediately!! Worth a try for a low price.
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