Hi again allI wrote last week about my mom being placed in a SNF after a fracture and surgery, and her inability to get used to it. She finally did.
However yesterday I witnessed an absolute nightmare. My sister came to town and we went in to see her and she spouted absolute nonsense and gibberish words. She thought our dog was with me, talked about people I'd never heard of before, told us not to turn her upside down. You can see where this is going. She of course did the lashing out at me, sounding desperate, all that. I know what's talking, and I have a thick skin.
I want to hope it's medication - particularly pain ones, that are doing this, but this appeared to be dementia. Nothing more or less. My sister and her husband were shocked when we went out to the parking lot.
Mom will be placed after this is all over, but is a sudden cognitive decline possible? Literally Friday she was fine. Saturday she didn't make one bit of sense. Not much today either. And she had a lot of pain, which the place controlled. This SNF is an absolute miracle. I can't say enough about it.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
Some people progress downhill very slowly, some take huge downwards spirals, then settle there for a while.
Sadly, it just is what it is.
Yes, you asked and answered your own question: Sudden cognitive declines are not uncommon and very possible.
I've accepted it, believe it or not, because at some point this would be inevitable. Mom did not live a healthy lifestyle, physically or mentally - not sure how much difference it makes but it would have helped somewhere, I'm sure... I'm POA and I told the facility (who has the copy) "Mom is no longer making decisions, you need to call me."
She’s in a good place now, I talked to the nurse this morning, and said “no cell phone today,” because she called me 20 times yesterday. It does nothing but agitate and upset her and she doesn’t rest adequately (nor do I) and the nurse agreed. But of course before I told her this, Mom flanagled the use of the room phone to call me, started getting agitated, weepy, but as soon as a nurse came in to talk to her, “Oh hi! How y’all today! Ain’t it a great day!”
Nurse told me she’s seen this a million times in the elderly and that hopefully after the next dose of antibiotics she’ll start to be a little more clear…
This could be anything. Medications? Hospital induced psychosis? Just anything at all.
Hope you will update after you speak to someone if this continues. I am SOOOO thankful she is in a great place.
Hard to accept, but I'll have to, probably radically, but I will.
Unless thecroombphone is another patients, it can be taken out of the room.
Anyway, your doing great and know I said a prayer for continued strength for you! blessings!
Thanks for your support - the place is absolutely wonderful, they like her, and she likes them. If she indeed has declined mentally, she's in a nice safe space for it, and I can be at peace with all the decisions I've made.
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