Talk to your Mom's primary doctor about a medication that can ease the delusion of abandonment, anxiety, and paranoia. These are common symptoms with dementia and they are hard to deal with when it's someone close to you. Realize that all medications have side effects, however, they usually resolve in a couple of weeks. These side effects may include drowsiness and dizziness. If you choose to try medication be sure and read the pamphlet that comes with the medication. I feel for you. What you are doing is wonderful and exhausting. Please take care of yourself. You need to eat well, get enough sleep, and get out of the house to take a break. That is very important.
Thanks for the input, but I don't think a nursing home is the best solution at this time. Mom is agitated and fearful around strangers. She lives with me now, and is virtually never alone, except when I have to go to the bathroom, etc. But the instant I am out of her sight, she panics and cries and gets extremely afraid. She wakes up several times during the night and I have to lie down with her to get her to go back to sleep. Her fear is genuine She thinks that 'they' are going to kill her. She can't express who 'they' are but 'they' are very real to her. I was wondering if anyone else is dealing with this, and if so, how are they coping. Mom still recognizes me and knows who I am. It would be very hard for me to take her to a nursing home and leave her. That would make her fear of abandonment a reality, at least in her eyes. I realize that it may come to that one day, but in the meantime I need to know how best to get through this.
Maybe you should consider a nursing home--my mom was pretty much the same way. Now she's never alone and most of the time it's working out good. She has more good days then bad now.
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Now she's never alone and most of the time it's working out good.
She has more good days then bad now.