My husband's grandmother is having some serious mental issues. The most recent case being that she thought my husbands was "smoking dope" and was shot while playing cards. I also had a child by another man, which I killed so my husband wouldn't find out.
She lives in a nursing home, mainly because her physical health was declining. Her mental health, which was well to start with, has rapidly declined since entering. (She checked herself into the home.)
My husband and I went to visit her IN PERSON to show her that he was alive and well and not on "dope", and that we have a perfectly healthy marriage.
It hurts to see her decline as she is. It hurts even more that she is telling these stories.
I want to find information, so that when I speak to her doctor or nurse I am well informed and ready to ask questions.
2007-03-01 02:17:12 · 3 answers · asked by "Marian" the Librarian 4 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Another example is that she is blaming the nurses of "doping" her food. She won't eat her meals because she believes they are drugged.
We have assured her multiple times this is not true. The nurses have even showed her that her pills are only crushed and put in pudding for easier swallowing.
They have never added drugs to her actual "three times daily meal" food.
2007-03-01 02:24:51 · update #1
We visit her every Sunday for church. We both have the typical busy American schedule. We try to visit her as often as we can other than Sundays, and take her out to eat or shop for a change in atmosphere.
It my have been aggravated a bit because of the fact my husband and I were on vacation and she hadn't heard us in two weeks. We reminded her often that we would be gone and even contacted her when we got back home.
2007-03-01 02:47:44 · update #2
Well I have been researching alzheimers and memory decline for almost three years now, and i even work with a scientist and an adult home. The best thing you can do is make sure she stays mentally and physically active. The cause of AD is the decreased blood flow to the brain. The blood brings the oxgen to the brain. So wiht less blood there is less oxygen, which causes cell death. These dead cell form into plaques called AB plaques in AD. Vitamin E helps with memory loss and they do have some medicines out for AD. Aricept and namanenda are some of the medicines. Sorry I don't have many resources for you to read but there is a nation alzheimer's association, http://www.alz.org/. They have alot of useful info. If you need anymore advice im always here. Also what she needs most right now is family support, that will slow the effects of the disease if your there.
2007-03-01 02:29:33 · answer #1 · answered by samantha g 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Paranoia and made-up stories seem to be a hallmark of dementia. Has she been formally diagnosed with anything? Is she on any medications?
If she has Alzheimer's (which is a form of dementia), the Alzheimer's Association website is the best place to start.
2007-03-02 07:45:52 · answer #2 · answered by Gevera Bert 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Type in CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ,ATLANTA ,GEORGIA.......There's everything you will ever need to know about medicine, disease, stats. all of it. Good Luck friend. I am always concerned about these things .....The information is there educate yourself and your hubby.
She's declining because of her disease, and because she is in a place foreign to her (this isn't always the case).
If you can see her often do.
2007-03-01 10:35:58 · answer #3 · answered by cesare214 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋