Help!

[Babycatsmummy]

I just want a little bit of advice and a hand hold if anyone can offer me one 😢

Currently going through trying to get a diagnosis for a close relative but I know nothing about Alzheimer's and always thought it was something that is quite prolonged, in the sense that symptoms and signs happen gradually?

My relatives signs have been there but over the last month things have taken a drastic turn and now they are hallucinating, hearing things, not eating.

Can this happen?!

Thank you x

Hi! I just wanted to come on and give a quick update.

After an incredibly stressful, mentally exhausting and challenging few days... they are home.

At one point we feared this happen after she checked out their hotel 2 days early, turned away medical help, locked my grandfather in the hotel room with her and refused to leave then lost their passports, bank cards and money in the airport. The embassy were amazing and sent staff to look for the missing bag and kept it until today.

The police bought them through to arrivals where my completely exhausted Grandfather is simply just stunned into silence and my Grandmother is convinced her neighbours are now controlling radio stations.

We've come to a family agreement to take my grandmother straight to the hospital. We fear for the safety of my Grandfather and the neighbour if we take her home.

As overwhelming as this has been the hard work is starting now as we try and get her through the hospital doors for treatment

I'm glad she's home but so, so sorry that it's come to this

Glad you've managed to get her home, hospital sounds like a sensible plan for a review of physical health and possibly assessment by the psychiatric liason team.

As things have changed dramatically and quickly ruling out delirium is important, there's some information here:

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/daily-living/delirium

It is commonly associated with UTIs but any infection + a whole range of other things can cause it, maybe look through the causes and see if any seem likely.

The hospital might also want to do a brain scan to check if anything significant has happened.

Hi guys!

so it’s been a few weeks and unfortunately things haven’t gotten any better but we have a diagnosis.

My grandmother was sectioned under a 5:2 and went to a mental health facility for the elderly. She’s had various scans and tests and although there are standard degenerative changes to her brain due to age, she does not have any form of Alzheimer’s.

Sadly, due to self neglect with her diabetes, she’s gone into psychosis from many years of extremely high blood sugars ( they can’t seem to get down past 22 at the moment).
she was making progress however, last weekend she insisted she was let out on day release for a family event. I was the only family member who contested this because It was a special day for my baby and I didnt want the added stress of making sure she was ok. I put some points forward… there was no proper risk assessment, there were many triggering factors, she wouldn’t have a chaperone, she doesn’t remember to take her medication, if she kicks off then it effects her time in the meaning she could potentially be held for longer etc. nobody wanted to listen to me though and things went sour when she decided to storm off and go mad other family members for various things and demanded to be taken home. She told us all the hospital didn’t send her home with medication but when we got to the house we found a big bag that had been sent home with her full of untouched tablets and liquid medicine.

This has now set her back and she’s in a worse state than when she was first admitted.

She was today sectioned under a section 3 of the mental health act and has gone ballistic at everyone, sending us all some not very not messages and telling us what she thinks of us.

We are in a position now where we need some help for my grandfather as he is not coping well on his own at all. He could come and stay with me which isn’t an issue at all, but he needs to find some independence so we are keen to support him in staying at home but he can’t cook, doesn’t know how to use a washing machine, forgets to take his medicine, won’t wash and generally just sits on the sofa staring at the floor all day. We have spent time teaching him how to use these appliances and written everything down but he lacks any motivation and would be happy to in his pants and fester to be honest! If anyone could point me in the direction of finding him some assistance it would be greatly appreciated.

thank you!

That sounds thoughtful, was she ever put on a section 2 or just the 5 2, she should have gone home with some sort of support and follow up care, now she's on a 3 she will get free aftercare which is a positive thing. Grandad is struggling, would he see his GP, what's his financial situation, would he agree to having a care needs assessment himself and having carers in, food deliveries, do you have power of attorney for him, would he agree to a spell of respite care.