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I posted a couple weeks ago about everything my mom is going through. Today she’s very depressed and is saying she feels like someone else is in the house but she doesn’t know why. She said it happens a lot. She was almost in tears and distraught. I don’t know what this is? Could this be another dementia symptom? She’s not diagnosed but displays a lot of symptoms lately. I’m just very concerned.

I got a hotel room door alarm and hung it on the front door. I then told my wife it's to alert us in case someone does come into the house. The reality of it is that it will alert me if wanders outside looking for someone.

Get her a referral to a neurology dept. Neurology can access her and possibly schedule a 3 hour verbal test that maps a lot of different brain functions and can lead to a formal diagnoses of what kind of dementia she has or may have.

Does your mom actually see or hear people that aren't there?

My wife has vascular dementia and does have visual and auditory hallucinations that become more promenate at sundown, called Sundowning. Her episodes are controlled (not eliminated) by Seroquil prescriptions, one extended release and one fast acting. She takes both at bedtime.
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Jamesness919 Jan 13, 2025
Yes she actually has. My dad passed 3 years ago and she would hear him calling her name a lot. I always assumed it was grief. this was before she lived with me. A couple weeks ago she called my cellphone at 3am (I sleep upstairs from her) to tell me a cat ran under her bed. My cat stays in my room all night. I went down and checked and there was no cat. She’s hard of hearing but will hear random noises that don’t happen. I’ll see if her dr will give a referral for a neurologist, thank you.
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Yes, this is another dementia sign.
I hope we advised you last time on researching.
It's the only way you can familiarize yourself with symptoms.

This is the face of dementia, which has 100s, if not 1,000s of presentations. All of them making no sense whatsoever to the rational mind.

I am so sorry. Do discuss with Mom's doc.
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"...displays a lot of symptoms lately" could be a UTI. They are very sneaky and incredibly common in older women, often with no other symptoms except change in behavior, cognition, memory, confusion, hallucinations, etc. I would make an appointment on this premise for her because a UTI is testable and treatable and she'll improve. So, you should NOT test her memory or cognition at this exam unless she tests negative for a UTI. They should also check her for any other medical reason for changes in her cognition/behavior, some of which will be treatable. Ask the doc or team discretely to administer the test and then stay in the room while she's answering questions and draws the clock face, etc. This way you she can't get away with fudging the truth to you, or you'll help her to rmember what the doc says. Create a medical portal for her so that you can keep track of what's going on more easily.
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Yes, delusional thinking is a big symptom of dementia. When do you plan to take mom in for a diagnosis?

In the meantime, I recommend a book Understanding the Dementia Experience by Jennifer Ghent-Fuller available used on Amazon for little money. It's a plain English discussion about dementia and how to deal with the symptoms and behaviors your mom is exhibiting. The 36 Hour Day is another good resource for you. More like a reference book....you can look up moms symptoms and see what to do, if anything, about them.

Best of luck to you.
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Jamesness919 Jan 13, 2025
Thank you for the suggestions. She has a lot of appointments coming up. She always does ok with the questions they ask at her appointments. She has a vascular doctor in a few weeks, I’m not sure if they handle it?
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Could you get her to go to the doctor and perhaps be prescribed some anti-anxiety meds?
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Jamesness919 Jan 13, 2025
Thank you, she’s on klonopin, Zoloft and pamalar already.
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