Mom has vascular dementia and is entering the last stage. She keeps asking me what’s wrong with her, why is she always so scared, why can’t she remember anything and when will she be back to normal. Should I tell her she has memory issues and that’s why we’re always here to remind her of things? I’ve been told not to tell her but she keeps thinking she’s going insane, which increases her anxiety exponentially. Thank you.
Now she states that she is 'just too tired' to do much of anything. She's 92 and while he dr says she's in great shape--she's 92!! and probably in the best shape she can be for that age and with her physical limitations. She plans to live to 100 and I would not be really surprised if she does.
She asks me, every time I visit her, if I can see that she's 'slowing down' or if her mental status seems off. I am honest with her, and say "Mom at 92, no one expects you to do more than you already do. It doesn't help to worry about it".
We don't paint her decline with a rosy view. It is what it is. I do know that if she begins to seem agitated by her mental slide, I will be her first advocate in getting her on meds to keep her calm. She deserves to be tired. Shoot, I am only 66 and I deserve to be tired too! Life wears us out!
She does not remember much of what we tell her. The things about the people she truly cares about are all she's interested in. I'm not one of those people, so I really don't share much of my life with her. I have a new house and she has zero interest in seeing it. And that's fine.
She is able to perform all her ADL's and she seems content enough. Everyday is just like every other day.
And, no, she doesn't really remember a lot of things she's told.