Elderly Mum with Vascular Dementia Having Unresponsive Episodes

[Dramlouie]

My 95 year old Mum who came home from hospital a few days ago after suffering a UTI had an unresponsive episode when the carer went in to put her to bed. Despite shouting, tapping her collar bone she did not respond but after about 20 minutes she gradually came round and then was smiling and moving her arms. Today 3 of us managed to get her out of bed onto the commode and then back into bed and she had a good lunch. Her speech is a bit slurry but we were warned that it would take up to 3 weeks to properly recover. She has had an unresponsive episode before and 'woke up' when the paramedics arrived. Nobody seems to know why this is happening, she had lots of tests in hospital with the UTI and nothing was found wrong. She has a pacemaker and is low thyroid which is being controlled. 6 weeks ago she was walking a mile with the help of a walking frame and feeding squirrels. She has now finished her antibiotics. She is normally joking around and talkative. It is very worrying and we don't know what to do when this happens. Is it dementia related or something else. We don't want to have to keep sending her off to hospital each time as it is unsettling and stressful for her. Any ideas would be appreciated or if it happens to anyone else.

[jeffcobb Ambassador]

Well I can't speak for others but I have periods where I "zone out" as I call it. Outwardly I am usually sitting there expressionless, oblivious to things going on around me, usually staring into space or at some item (although w/o focus). Inwardly....inwardly I can only tell you whats in my head; your mum may have a completely different channel on her telly.

However for me, the zone-out periods I find them very restful, peaceful and sometimes I wonder if they are not some response to being overwhelmed. Regardless, when I am zoning out, I am not thinking really, not ....analytically I guess you could say. Imagine if your brain were an engine, with you being the rest of the auto. When I am zoning out, its like the clutch is simply pressed to the floor...like an auto in such a situation, I am still "running" but more like idling and like the car that goes nowhere, my brain really doesn't either. I don't "do stuff" in this state. Most of the body is basically switched off, so if I say have a pill in my mouth, good chance in a few minutes it will come rolling out. Thats another problem I have: putting pills in my mouth, my brain farts and suddenly assumed I went though the swallowing process, basically drawing a line thru the process of "TAKE PILL" in my head. So I walk around with 1-n pills in my mouth until they start to dissolve and taste bad, then I realize what is wrong and lunge for liquids.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

So all I can really tell you about it is that at least for me, zone-outs are more like a kind of involuntary siesta or something.. Freaked Beth out (wife/caregiver) at first but now she kinda rolls with it. Now she either tries to get my attention with nudges or repeating my name...at some point I snap back, very refreshed and the fun part for me is, if I was anxious/angry/tense/whatever before, I am usually pretty mellow when I come out of it. Its like the bad feelings were drained off in the process.

[Dramlouie in reply to jeffcobb]

Thanks for your reply and giving me your version. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said overwhelmed! Mum had returned from hospital the previous day, the carer, myself and my brother were trying to get her out of bed. She was having lots of instructions, way too many....lift your right knee, hold my hand, roll to your left etc etc. It was all too much. My brother also got angry when he was trying to get her to drink and she became a young child and was pulling faces and messing around with him. It was all too much at lunch time. I was the last one to leave her and I am calm with her but I could see she was very tired. In the evening she was found unresponsive. The carers give too many instructions instead of saying sit on the edge of the bed each little step has instructions. She had a lot of tests before she was sent home so your comments and others I have found on websites have given me a new perspective.

I have just remembered that she did it before when my brother showed her lots of old family films from decades ago and then the carer continued with them. In the afternoon she couldn't be roused and that time was sent into hospital but came around when the paramedics were carrying her to the ambulance. It is like a fuse blows and has to reset.

I have heard about Ashwagandha is good, it relieves stress, maybe worth looking into.

[jeffcobb Ambassador in reply to Dramlouie]

Well, I have 2 cool dogs, a cool wife and a big pile of weed. Anxiety and stress are not an issue most days.

Cheers!

[Poppygail Ambassador]

Just wanted to say ditto to what Jeff said. Also, I wanted to add that in the beginning of my dementia, I was having episodes much as you describe, completely unresponsive, unable to remember the event after “clearing” from the episode. It was thought at the time I may be having seizures. A 48 hour EEG eventually ruled that out but it may be worth exploring with your mom.

Again, I’m not saying your mother is having seizures, it’s just an option that may be worth mentioning to her doc.

Randy

[Dramlouie in reply to Poppygail]

Thank you, I shall mention this to the doctor.