Re: Today - just venting...

March 7, 2011

Hi,

As Janet said, it sounds like Capgras Syndrome, which my Dad had experienced

especially earlier on when he wasn't being treated yet. I don't know what kinds

of meds your Dad already has, and whether or not they should lessen the

symptoms. With Dad, although it was terribly inconvenient and stressful because

it was hard for Mom to get accustomed to and was a subject for Dad in varying

degrees for months, it did not require placement. Honestly I think he still has

it, but has decided for the time being to believe Mom and I when we say who she

really is, etc. It's very upsetting, especially when it first appears, for the

primary caregiver especially!

Lori

Today - just venting...

My sister called my Dad this am to take his pills. Mom got on the phone my

sister said she was noticibly shaken. Apparently Dad told Mom, " You need to

leave I want to live with the New Rose " - he started seeing more than one of her

and apparently maybe even two of her. One of her has a young boyfriend that

looks like he's related to her. I've started looking into nursing homes and by

the end of this week I will have made my rounds and gotten applications filled

out. My sister is spending the day with them. Tomorrow he goes to the Day

facility which is really lovely - he has a good time there and comes home, tired

but happy. Just needed to vent...I'm worried about both of them. They assured me

they could get thru this week.

March 7, 2011

It does sound like Capgras. My mil first experienced a variation of it

thinking her room was not hers (it just looked like it was her's). Now she

is having double caregivers - one is the regular one and one is the dead

one. She calls her name and when she comes in she says " Oh, why are you

here (because you called me) no, I was calling the other one. " As I calmly

asked her which other one she explained the one who is dead - she comes and

sees me and that's who I was calling.

I handle these times with extreme calm and talking and going along with it

while trying to bring her back -- like showing her things in her room up

close and talking about memories associated with them (her pictures,

ceramics she made, etc.) until she is comfortable it really is her room; or

getting out of the house for a walk or drive and come back and she is glad

to be home and there's no longer a question if it's real. For the personal

instances I just talk to her about it. The first time as I asked who the

other one was and I learned she thought the other one was dead etc. I asked

if that one minded if she called and woke her from her rest, etc. We had a

" real " conversation about an unreal thing and after that the severity of it

decreased. Another thing that changes things back usually for my mil is a

nap.

The first time this happened I was pretty shocked but now so far I am able

to roll with it.

Hope your mother is able to do similar J

Dorothy

From: LBDcaregivers [mailto:LBDcaregivers ]

On Behalf Of janebsharp

Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 8:57 AM

To: LBDcaregivers

Subject: Today - just venting...

My sister called my Dad this am to take his pills. Mom got on the phone my

sister said she was noticibly shaken. Apparently Dad told Mom, " You need to

leave I want to live with the New Rose " - he started seeing more than one of

her and apparently maybe even two of her. One of her has a young boyfriend

that looks like he's related to her. I've started looking into nursing homes

and by the end of this week I will have made my rounds and gotten

applications filled out. My sister is spending the day with them. Tomorrow

he goes to the Day facility which is really lovely - he has a good time

there and comes home, tired but happy. Just needed to vent...I'm worried

about both of them. They assured me they could get thru this week.

March 8, 2011

your mom needs a support group - is there one close to her? Just knowing she's

not alone when dealing with these different symptoms is empowering. Here's the

LBD support groups:

http://www.lbda.org/category/4185 & cfid=20923097 & cftoken=38585718/local-support-g\

roups.htm

but if a LBD support group is not close by I'd recommend your mom going to a PD

support group (over an Alz. Support group) she'll find more people in common w/

her situation at a PD support group.

>

> My sister called my Dad this am to take his pills. Mom got on the phone my

sister said she was noticibly shaken. Apparently Dad told Mom, " You need to

leave I want to live with the New Rose " - he started seeing more than one of

her and apparently maybe even two of her. One of her has a young boyfriend that

looks like he's related to her. I've started looking into nursing homes and by

the end of this week I will have made my rounds and gotten applications filled

out. My sister is spending the day with them. Tomorrow he goes to the Day

facility which is really lovely - he has a good time there and comes home, tired

but happy. Just needed to vent...I'm worried about both of them. They assured

me they could get thru this week.

>

March 10, 2011

I'm not a doctor or a nurse but from everything I've read on this board - Yes

that's what it sounds like and there are varying degrees of Capgras. Sometimes

Dad insists we already moved or that he's already in a nursing home. It's my

understanding there can be taste and smell halucinations as well

Jeannine

>

> Is this what my sister is having? She will ask for her son, Steve, and when I

tell her where he is, she will say " not him the other Steve " . She also does

this with one of my brothers.

>

> Today - just venting...

>

> My sister called my Dad this am to take his pills. Mom got on the phone my

> sister said she was noticibly shaken. Apparently Dad told Mom, " You need to

> leave I want to live with the New Rose " - he started seeing more than one of

> her and apparently maybe even two of her. One of her has a young boyfriend

> that looks like he's related to her. I've started looking into nursing homes

> and by the end of this week I will have made my rounds and gotten

> applications filled out. My sister is spending the day with them. Tomorrow

> he goes to the Day facility which is really lovely - he has a good time

> there and comes home, tired but happy. Just needed to vent...I'm worried

> about both of them. They assured me they could get thru this week.

>

March 13, 2011

My mom had Capgras...she always wanted to go home so I just got her in the car

and took a drive through the city and then came back home and she was OK.

As far as the double people...Mom had two of each of her children also. We were

walking down the street one day and I think the subject of going to the mall

came up. She said 'Joan used to take me to the mall and we had such a good

tiem.' I then told her that I am Joan, and she said 'I know you are...I was

talking about Joan my daughter and you are Joan my friend.' I had thought about

this a lot. I think that when she was cognitively 50, she could not look at me

as her daughter when I was about the same age. I don't know if any of your LOs

can lend some explanation to this, but that was the only logical thing that I

could come up with.

>

> It does sound like Capgras. My mil first experienced a variation of it

> thinking her room was not hers (it just looked like it was her's). Now she

> is having double caregivers - one is the regular one and one is the dead

> one. She calls her name and when she comes in she says " Oh, why are you

> here (because you called me) no, I was calling the other one. " As I calmly

> asked her which other one she explained the one who is dead - she comes and

> sees me and that's who I was calling.

>

> I handle these times with extreme calm and talking and going along with it

> while trying to bring her back -- like showing her things in her room up

> close and talking about memories associated with them (her pictures,

> ceramics she made, etc.) until she is comfortable it really is her room; or

> getting out of the house for a walk or drive and come back and she is glad

> to be home and there's no longer a question if it's real. For the personal

> instances I just talk to her about it. The first time as I asked who the

> other one was and I learned she thought the other one was dead etc. I asked

> if that one minded if she called and woke her from her rest, etc. We had a

> " real " conversation about an unreal thing and after that the severity of it

> decreased. Another thing that changes things back usually for my mil is a

> nap.

>

> The first time this happened I was pretty shocked but now so far I am able

> to roll with it.

>

> Hope your mother is able to do similar J

>

> Dorothy

>

> From: LBDcaregivers [mailto:LBDcaregivers ]

> On Behalf Of janebsharp

> Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 8:57 AM

> To: LBDcaregivers

> Subject: Today - just venting...