Rapid Decline in motor skills in 3 weeks...

First post, have been pulling my hair out trying to wrap my head around this, and finally decided to find an active forum.

Without going into the whole thing I was wondering how quickly people can go from walking to being bedbound as my grandmother has gone from being able to go to the bathroom, walk, and feed herself to needing assistance with everything including eating in drinking in about 3 weeks.

She was diagnosed with Dementia last year, but has been able to manage herself fairly well aside from being hateful when we had to get help for my grandfather who also had memory issues. He passed a month ago, she's done fairly well with it, but starting going downhill since the doctors adjusted her medicine a few times. Her memory has gotten sharper (in my opinion), but her motor skills have significantly declined.

She was checked out for strokes, had bloodwork done, checked for UTI's etc.. and everything has come back fine. Over the course of the last week (or a little before) she started having trouble with the bathroom and a little more difficulty walking which started around the last time they changed her meds. We had assumed that was the issue, her doctor was notified and he told us to cut a med out. Family decided to cut the med (1 day) and then just went ahead and took her to the hospital to get checked out... Again no issues with any of the tests.

I understand this can be an affect of late stage dementia, but have never heard of it coming on this quickly as she hasn't had a stroke and her health is actually good from the tests and scans. It's also confusing that her memory has gotten better and she's more talkative while her motor skills have gone downhill.

The doctors news was about as grim as you can possibly get today (suggest hospice), but my grandmother is talking, knows exactly who we are, and is hungry wanting food... it's just the motor skills. Just wanted to see if anyone had some thoughts on the situation. Everything I've read for late stages says that swallowing, etc... can be an issue, but it also says they won't even know who you are or where they are by that time. Not the case with her...

This is actually my 3rd experience with Hospice, as my dad had it before he decided to go home and passed, and my grandfather had it at home to help him pass. Grandmother on my fathers side did the same thing at home.

The people are nice, but weren't very helpful when I asked a few questions about therapy and what they can do with patients. I understand they may not be setup for it, but they weren't helpful in the way that a lot of other agencies have been as far as pointing you in the right direction. All we got was a doctor will be in on Friday. That said, they have always been good with us when someone is nearing the end, I'm just not sure it's the place for someone that needs a push and some motivation.

I'm not sure about the whole graduation thing, but I had heard it mentioned a few times online. They didn't tell us anything about it -- it was basically put to us as they watch her until she goes or they send her home if she gets better on her own. I'm sure hospice is different in different areas, but I haven't been all that impressed this time around. There were some things about her room as well, but no need to go into all that.

As of now, we're hoping she'll continue to try and feed herself and want to get better. She actually fed herself successfully with no shaking (or choking), and talked normally about what she wanted and understands where she is and why today which was her first day of hospice. Basically did better than she's done all weekend, and it was her first day without being on all her medicine in months... go figure. Your right though, the brain is a funny thing and I'm finding out there are a lot of unknowns about medications and Alzheimer/dementia in general.

Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. We'll see how tomorrow goes; hopefully I can get someone to be a little more open about things or get some advice on alternatives aside from Hospice and general Nursing Homes. Home care would be ideal, but we can't afford 24 hour care for very long as it's extremely expensive.

My father is 72 years old. For a little while he was having some memory problems. In 6 weeks he has gone from driving and doing normal household things to being placed in hospital and declared mentally incompetent. He can no longer walk or feed himself, and has to wear a diaper. We are now waiting for a nursing home for him. The Drs are all puzzled as to why he has declined so fast. He was diagnosed with frontal lobe Alzheimer's 3 weeks ago. He doesn't even know his wife or any of us, his kids, anymore.

My father passed away on August 25 2013. Apparently the brain disease he had was so rare that his brain has been sent to Ottawa, Canada and hi body had to be cremated.

To AdrockTN ....

   Sorry to hear you are going thru this and watching a rapid decline in your grandmother. Could it be ... the passing of your grandfather a month ago has triggered the rapid decline of his partner in life?

   My Mother has had dementia for an unknown amount of years, but it was officially diagnosed close to three years ago. I believe she is going thru the stages of dementia in more of a normal timeframe .. that is, over a fairly long period of time. Changes of medication, however, have seemed to have started physical changes in her - the latest one of being confined to a wheelchair nearly all of the time.

   I wish the best for her ....... and for you and yours.

Rob

 

Welcome to Healing well! I think some better hospice staff would be better, personally. I noticed with my Gma, she declined rapidly, had a swing uphill and knew everyone talking and saying good bye, then declined more rapidly and passed on. Hang in there, hugss

"Without going into the whole thing I was wondering how quickly people can go from walking to being bedbound as my grandmother has gone from being able to go to the bathroom, walk, and feed herself to needing assistance with everything including eating in drinking in about 3 weeks."

This pretty much described my FIL just last January. He was living by himself, seemingly taking decent care of himself. He came to live with us in January and in 3 months he declined so quickly that he passed in March. It shocked the nurses, doctors were in denial, and Hospice was surprised as well. It was like once he knew we were there to care for him as much as was needed, he let go.

If they fall and hit their head, it can accelerate the disease, so can medication changes, nutritional issues and more.