Dementia and Delusions

Bev was transferred to a rehab facility on Monday afternoon after two weeks in the hospital. The hospital was, in my opinion, not very well equipped to deal with her increasing memory loss issues. The rehab place has already diagnosed Bev with dementia, and is coordinating her care with their geriatric psychiatrist. The psych guy will assess her, establish what stage and level her dementia is at, and determine her prognosis. After that, we will have a few weeks to decide which long-term care facility in which to place her.

Dementia struck Bev hard and fast, and it is not a pretty thing. Sometimes Bev is very agitated and angry; other times she is quite passive. Her thoughts now are about 90% delusions, which are easier to deal with, in some ways, than if she were more coherent. We are trying to remain upbeat, and one way to accomplish this is to accept the fact that nothing we do can reverse these symptoms. There is no use correcting or arguing with Bev - that only results in more confusion and frustration on her part. There is usually a hint of entertainment in her “stories,” and I, for one, try to look for that each day. Otherwise, I would be overwhelmed with the reality of exactly how gloomy this disease is.

In her mind this past week, Bev has:
~Tried to make phone calls on her hand-held poker game.
~Been on an airplane to Vegas.
~Worked at her old job at an answering service.
~Resigned from her old job at the answering service.
~Traveled all over Michigan, the U.P. included.
~Visited with my mom, dad (dead since ’92), and sister.
~Informed us that she won’t be available to babysit while we work.
~Wondered why we were all in jail last weekend.

It all just goes on and on. Adam and Jacob went to the rehab place with us this evening. Bev knew exactly who they were (!), but wondered where our “little one” was. We did have a good laugh about the jail comment, too. Every day brings something new and intriguing. I think when we do receive Bev’s prognosis and get her settled into a safe living environment, we will actually be able to continue on with our own lives in a somewhat normal way. At least that is what I am hoping for! I'll keep you all informed.