Guest guest Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Dear friends, I have been reading voraciously as the messages come through, hoping to gain some strength and knowledge from you. It sure has helped. But tonight my father called very upset about my Mother's behavior. Her hallucinations are getting worse by the day it seems. Today she saw kids trying to break into her house (she lives in an apartment in a senior housing facility), the owner of the house keeps taking things apart and putting them together again really fast, there are no windows in her house, etc. She fell twice last night trying to get to the bathroom (according to Dad she got stuck behind the door). She claims she is eating and drinking, but I have my doubts. My father is also very worried that she is overmedicating herself. All of her Monday pills are gone, as are most of her Tuesday ones! The doctor just increased her Wellbutrin to try and get her a bit more energized, and he upped the Excelon to the highest dose, but Dad has not started using those at all. I am just about at my wits end tonight, because I don't know how to help. Any advice based on your experience would be great. What bothers me most is that we had a really nice dinner here at my house last night and she seemed really relaxed. Thanks for listening. Thank goodness you are here! Barbara caregiver to her 78 year-old mother diagnosed with LBD in 2008. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Hi Barbara, Your Mom's bottles of pills should be taken away from her. Mom got the types of hallucinations especially when she was stressed or very upset. Perhaps your Dad is having a hard time dealing with the reality of this disease and his stress is showing through and it is agitating your Mom more and causing more hallucinations. The medications that she is taking on her own are probably not helping the matter much. Perhaps your house and/or you are 'calming' to her and that is why she did so well at your house. I would see if her LBD meds could be adjusted or maybe she has a UTI. > > > > Dear friends, > > I have been reading voraciously as the messages come through, hoping to gain some strength and knowledge from you. It sure has helped. But tonight my father called very upset about my Mother's behavior. Her hallucinations are getting worse by the day it seems. Today she saw kids trying to break into her house (she lives in an apartment in a senior housing facility), the owner of the house keeps taking things apart and putting them together again really fast, there are no windows in her house, etc. She fell twice last night trying to get to the bathroom (according to Dad she got stuck behind the door). She claims she is eating and drinking, but I have my doubts. My father is also very worried that she is overmedicating herself. All of her Monday pills are gone, as are most of her Tuesday ones! The doctor just increased her Wellbutrin to try and get her a bit more energized, and he upped the Excelon to the highest dose, but Dad has not > started using those at all. I am just about at my wits end tonight, because I don't know how to help. Any advice based on your experience would be great. What bothers me most is that we had a really nice dinner here at my house last night and she seemed really relaxed. > > Thanks for listening. Thank goodness you are here! > > Barbara > > caregiver to her 78 year-old mother diagnosed with LBD in 2008. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Dear Barbara, One of the side effects of Wellbutrin can be loss of appetite... we had my Mom on it briefly, and it didn't seem to help. She's been on Zoloft, which has been working pretty well. Hugs from NY, Helene > > > > Dear friends, > > I have been reading voraciously as the messages come through, hoping to gain some strength and knowledge from you. It sure has helped. But tonight my father called very upset about my Mother's behavior. Her hallucinations are getting worse by the day it seems. Today she saw kids trying to break into her house (she lives in an apartment in a senior housing facility), the owner of the house keeps taking things apart and putting them together again really fast, there are no windows in her house, etc. She fell twice last night trying to get to the bathroom (according to Dad she got stuck behind the door). She claims she is eating and drinking, but I have my doubts. My father is also very worried that she is overmedicating herself. All of her Monday pills are gone, as are most of her Tuesday ones! The doctor just increased her Wellbutrin to try and get her a bit more energized, and he upped the Excelon to the highest dose, but Dad has not > started using those at all. I am just about at my wits end tonight, because I don't know how to help. Any advice based on your experience would be great. What bothers me most is that we had a really nice dinner here at my house last night and she seemed really relaxed. > > Thanks for listening. Thank goodness you are here! > > Barbara > > caregiver to her 78 year-old mother diagnosed with LBD in 2008. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 Barbara - It would be best if someone else takes over your mom's medication schedule. It is probably too much to expect her to be able to keep track of her own. Putting her on a schedule for meals would help also. My mom was not eating either, even though she thought she was. Putting her on a schedule not only helped to make sure she was nourished, but makes her feel more secure. Consistency is important w/ LBD. Also, it is not unusual for someone w/ LBD to seem fine one day, or even one moment and then not the next. Their abilities and awareness can fluctuate greatly. Seroquel helped my mom with her extreme agitation as well as hallucinations. Take care and hang in there, Katy > > > > Dear friends, > > I have been reading voraciously as the messages come through, hoping to gain some strength and knowledge from you. It sure has helped. But tonight my father called very upset about my Mother's behavior. Her hallucinations are getting worse by the day it seems. Today she saw kids trying to break into her house (she lives in an apartment in a senior housing facility), the owner of the house keeps taking things apart and putting them together again really fast, there are no windows in her house, etc. She fell twice last night trying to get to the bathroom (according to Dad she got stuck behind the door). She claims she is eating and drinking, but I have my doubts. My father is also very worried that she is overmedicating herself. All of her Monday pills are gone, as are most of her Tuesday ones! The doctor just increased her Wellbutrin to try and get her a bit more energized, and he upped the Excelon to the highest dose, but Dad has not > started using those at all. I am just about at my wits end tonight, because I don't know how to help. Any advice based on your experience would be great. What bothers me most is that we had a really nice dinner here at my house last night and she seemed really relaxed. > > Thanks for listening. Thank goodness you are here! > > Barbara > > caregiver to her 78 year-old mother diagnosed with LBD in 2008. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Hi Barbara, if it isn't one thing it's four others with LBD. I'm sorry you are under so much stress about your Mother. I haven't gotten to my mail in days, so I don't know what others have told you. But, I am sure they first reckoned that your mother's medications should be taken care of by someone else, and dispensed to her when it should be. She is no longer able to take care of something so serious as her medicines. I had to do that for Don, and it wasn't easy. He would undo what I had done by taking all the pills out of the weekly organizer, and line them up, or reorganize them to the point that his dosages were unrecognizable. Try sorting a dozen different medicines and putting them back in the correct bottles! I had to carefully look at each pill under a magnifying glass, and compare it to those in the bottles to determine where they were suppose to go? Then fill the weekly organizer again. Obviously, his pills had to be hidden. It's fine now. Better success to you dear girl. Love with kindness, Imogene Caregiver for my True Texas Gentleman Husband. Diagnosed with AD in 2005. And then, with LBD 2006. A happy personality is contagious. Infect someone today. Yours Truly In a message dated 11/2/2009 7:50:36 P.M. Central Standard Time, barbara_austen@... writes: Dear friends, I have been reading voraciously as the messages come through, hoping to gain some strength and knowledge from you. It sure has helped. But tonight my father called very upset about my Mother's behavior. Her hallucinations are getting worse by the day it seems. Today she saw kids trying to break into her house (she lives in an apartment in a senior housing facility), the owner of the house keeps taking things apart and putting them together again really fast, there are no windows in her house, etc. She fell twice last night trying to get to the bathroom (according to Dad she got stuck behind the door). She claims she is eating and drinking, but I have my doubts. My father is also very worried that she is overmedicating herself. All of her Monday pills are gone, as are most of her Tuesday ones! The doctor just increased her Wellbutrin to try and get her a bit more energized, and he upped the Excelon to the highest dose, but Dad has not started using those at all. I am just about at my wits end tonight, because I don't know how to help. Any advice based on your experience would be great. What bothers me most is that we had a really nice dinner here at my house last night and she seemed really relaxed. Thanks for listening. Thank goodness you are here! Barbara caregiver to her 78 year-old mother diagnosed with LBD in 2008. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Thanks, Katy, and everyone else who responded. My Dad still thinks he can mange her medicines, but it seems quite clear that we need to get someone else. I hope to gt Dad to realize that he is now the careginver. He says he knows, but .. . . Also, my husband and I are thinking of some kind of " intervention " with Dad to give him the hard facts--he is in charge of medicines, meals, etc. We are slowly working through this. I admit, I think I have the greatest husband in the world. Anyway, thanks for all of your support. It really is a big help. Barbara ________________________________ To: LBDcaregivers Sent: Tue, November 3, 2009 10:37:09 AM Subject: Re: What do I do now? Barbara - It would be best if someone else takes over your mom's medication schedule. It is probably too much to expect her to be able to keep track of her own. Putting her on a schedule for meals would help also. My mom was not eating either, even though she thought she was. Putting her on a schedule not only helped to make sure she was nourished, but makes her feel more secure. Consistency is important w/ LBD. Also, it is not unusual for someone w/ LBD to seem fine one day, or even one moment and then not the next. Their abilities and awareness can fluctuate greatly. Seroquel helped my mom with her extreme agitation as well as hallucinations. Take care and hang in there, Katy > > > > Dear friends, > > I have been reading voraciously as the messages come through, hoping to gain some strength and knowledge from you. It sure has helped. But tonight my father called very upset about my Mother's behavior. Her hallucinations are getting worse by the day it seems. Today she saw kids trying to break into her house (she lives in an apartment in a senior housing facility), the owner of the house keeps taking things apart and putting them together again really fast, there are no windows in her house, etc. She fell twice last night trying to get to the bathroom (according to Dad she got stuck behind the door). She claims she is eating and drinking, but I have my doubts. My father is also very worried that she is overmedicating herself. All of her Monday pills are gone, as are most of her Tuesday ones! The doctor just increased her Wellbutrin to try and get her a bit more energized, and he upped the Excelon to the highest dose, but Dad has not > started using those at all. I am just about at my wits end tonight, because I don't know how to help. Any advice based on your experience would be great. What bothers me most is that we had a really nice dinner here at my house last night and she seemed really relaxed. > > Thanks for listening. Thank goodness you are here! > > Barbara > > caregiver to her 78 year-old mother diagnosed with LBD in 2008. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Maybe you have access to some social worker or case manager through your Mom's insurance and/or Medicare/Medicaid that can come and help your dad with what he needs to do and educating him on how to go about everything and what he needs to do to best serve your Mom. After a few follow ups then he might be on the right track. I know it is hard...I was able to see what I needed to do for Mom and what I needed to take control over, but it seems that sometimes spouses have a harder time realizing that they have to take over and that their loved one is no longer an 'equal' but is actually beginning to be more like a 'child' who needs some supervision and guidance in everything. Hugs and prayers, Joan > > > > > > > > Dear friends, > > > > I have been reading voraciously as the messages come through, hoping to gain some strength and knowledge from you. It sure has helped. But tonight my father called very upset about my Mother's behavior. Her hallucinations are getting worse by the day it seems. Today she saw kids trying to break into her house (she lives in an apartment in a senior housing facility), the owner of the house keeps taking things apart and putting them together again really fast, there are no windows in her house, etc. She fell twice last night trying to get to the bathroom (according to Dad she got stuck behind the door). She claims she is eating and drinking, but I have my doubts. My father is also very worried that she is overmedicating herself. All of her Monday pills are gone, as are most of her Tuesday ones! The doctor just increased her Wellbutrin to try and get her a bit more energized, and he upped the Excelon to the highest dose, but Dad has not > > started using those at all. I am just about at my wits end tonight, because I don't know how to help. Any advice based on your experience would be great. What bothers me most is that we had a really nice dinner here at my house last night and she seemed really relaxed. > > > > Thanks for listening. Thank goodness you are here! > > > > Barbara > > > > caregiver to her 78 year-old mother diagnosed with LBD in 2008. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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