Guest guest Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hi Everyone, Just a little background - my mom was diagnosed with Lewy Body and with cancer last year (yes, a double whammy). Not knowing anything about Lewy Body, and the fact that my mom still acted " normal " mentally, we focused more on the cancer than the impending dementia. Unfortunately, we should have prepared ourselves more for what was to come with the dementia. Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but now that I am learning more about LBD, I am amazed at how similar others' experiences are, and how " typically " she has progressed in a disease that has so many variables. My mom is currently in a skilled nursing facility receiving therapy for a broken arm. She is only there temporarily and they are already pushing us (her caregivers - my brother and me) to be ready for her discharge. We have looked into another long term facility. Mom doesn't want to be in any facility, but she doesn't understand why we don't feel safe with her at home. Previously, she lived alone in a small apartment while my brother lived in the apartment above her. Almost like living with her, but not quite. Until a few months ago, she was still pretty independent. But now she has short-term memory loss, a lack of sense of time and place, some hallucinations and delusions. At least the paranoia seems to have lessened. When we first hospitalized her, she was so anxious and paranoid that she was barricading her doors, hiding knives in the apartment, and accusing the neighbors of breaking in. To complicate matters, I live 3000 miles away and I am trying as much as I can to help my brother in her care. He is the on site guy, and I am trying to do research and financial stuff from afar. I have been reading here and in another forum, and I recently read a book about LBD. I have learned A LOT and I am grateful for that, but of course I still have questions. I wonder if we got her medications under control, could she ever have a possibility of living at home again, with help of course? I wonder if not, will she ever accept living in a memory care facility? I wonder what stage she is in - early, mid, late? I wonder if anyone out there can give me advice or resources for neurologists, facilities, respite or day care options in the California Bay Area? Anyway, thank you all for reading. Mel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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