Vascular Dementia

Hello Winkers60

My mother had what I believe was vascular dementia & she was also in a care home.  She had 2 strokes & I believe the dementia was possibly as a result of these and possible tias (trans ischaemic attacks - not sure of spelling - mini strokes) although it was difficult to pinpoint which came first. Fortunately my Mum's care home was also a nursing home & had her own GP attached to the home so she got some continuity of care. My stepfather was next of kin & so had more direct contact with medical staff & so I didn't always get information first hand.  It would be worth finding out if your mother's care home also offers nursing care & if so whether they have her on a nursing care or just general care package. Ask for her to be assessed by the GP. Do you have power of attourney for your mother's medical needs so that you can ask for her to be assessed? Alzheimer's UK would also be a good place to ask for help and support. Carers UK is also very useful. Do you feel your mother's care home is meeting her needs? If they feel that she needs to be in a nursing home rather than a care home they ought to tell you & suggest a suitable alternative. I hope you find all the care and support you need. There are so many carers out there and so.many elderly people needing care so you are not alone. I know how hard it is! 

My mother also had a time of agitation in the evenings & was prescribed some medication for a short time in the evening  to calm her down.  I believe this agitation is called 'sundowning'. Once I had googled vascular dementia & could see what symptoms to expect it made more sense of her behaviour & symptoms & therefore less distressing although still sad to see. You can't help the fact that you have been  ill and are still recovering. You can't pour from an empty cup so it's important to look after yourself. It's good that you have your sister for support. Could she contact the home/the GP & phone up organisations for support to take some of the worry off you?

I hope it works out for you.

Thank you very much.Mum has had several TIA’s and a major stroke in addition to the original brain haemorrhage.This is why I believe it is more likely to be vascular dementia.She became confused a few years ago & ended up being admitted to hospital overnight.The dr’s then suspected dementia.Mum is extremely intelligent & so I think her interest in so many subjects may have masked some of the more dementia like symptoms.The staff at the home are nice but she gets very little in the way of care & no mental stimulation.As far as I know they don’t offer any nursing care and mum is frail now with poor mobility.The home is convenient though as it’s close to home and as I don’t drive I’m able to walk down to visit.The memory tests were arranged by the gp who looks after the care home residents.I think I will have to phone her and discuss our current situation.I am about to sort out power of attorney.My macmillan agent has been helpful and I hope she can get us extra support for when mum comes home.It’s all a bit overwhelming and our health centre is useless.Jane 

I read about sundowning too and it certainly fits with mum’s behaviour.My sister Sarah has been brilliant supporting me through cancer & visiting mum etc.She works full time and has to travel  but is under an enormous amount of stress.We will sort something out between us.

Hello again just one more thought. If it is a care home rather than a nursing home could you ask your gp for help from the district nursing team? Does the care home have an occupational therapist who could assess your Mum's needs? Does the home have stimulation organised? My Mum's home had visiting singers & it was amazing to see her singing along to the old wartime songs when she had reached the point when she said very little. When I visited my Mum I used to take old photos or a magazine to talk about with her. We shared cups if tea & chocolate buttons & even though I knew she wouldn't remember I had visited her I knew I had given her some pleasure when I saw her so I felt a bit better.

Take care of yourself!

She remembered people in the old photos really well & could still do crossword puzzles for a while. I tried to focus on what she could still do & enjoy rather than dwelling on what she couldn't do. I hope your GP can offer you some more ideas & support.

Hi,The home do run activities but mum is so deaf that she cannot/does not want to join in.She has an shunt keeping her alive but because of that she has refused to have her ears syringed which is a nuisance.I arranged for mum to have her hearing tested a few years ago and she needs hearing aids.As you can probably tell mum is extremely stubborn and doesn’t make things easy at times.What we have noticed is mum now makes personal remarks and that is completely out of character.Can I ask what type of symptoms your mum had ? I’m very grateful for your insight and support.Love Jane xx

To encourage your Mum to eat it might be worth letting the carers know what she likes to eat or if possible take some foods with you so that you can encourage her to eat even if it's a little bit & often. Some ladies in my Mum's home were given yoghurts for example; high protein easy to eat snacks

Mum is having yoghurts most days at teatime.Sadly she lost her sense of taste and smell in 2004 so everything tastes bland.The staff have been good regarding the food and I take drinks in and try to encourage her.

Hello Jane it's still quite painful for me to go into too much detail as my Mum only passed away last year & it's still quite raw. Am not looking forward to Mother's Day! Some of her symptoms were due to a thing called freezing gate syndrome which is similar to Parkinsons & so may not have been due to dementia. She also fell & broke her hip & never learned to walk again apart from with a zimmer & was wheelchair bound & became incontinent. Eventually she couldn't walk or stand which is why she ended up in a home.

The main vascular dementia symptoms looking back started 15 years before the end; disorientation/loss of sense of direction, then confusion & anxiety. Eventually she became very fixated on her main carer & constantly asking where they were if they weren't in the room. She eventually could no longer recognise her grandchildren & thought she was 39 when she was 79. The short term memory went first & gradually became worse. In the end she had difficulty chewing & swallowing her food. My Mum was a very gentle person & only got cross with her sister when she fussed over her! She was more scared than aggressive. My sister in law's mother is very deaf & stubborn & now living with family. I think each case is different. One thing to remember is that any changes in personality are the illness & not your Mum's fault.

I hope I haven't worried you too much with all of the above. A friend of mine's Dad has been diagnosed with vascular dementia & he also has some incontinence & shuffles when he walks which are apparently also symptoms. He now has lots of care organised at home including someone to stay overnight so that his wife can get her sleep. There is usually a care coordinator who can assess someone's needs & your gp should be able to help with this. Don't forget about your own needs!