83yr old mother in law showing signs dementia

Siobhan727

I have a 21 daughter with Autism and Rheumatoid arthritis.  I also have my 83yr old mother in law every weekend  who is showing signs dementia  I am finding it very hard to cope with her, as she will not agree that anything is wrong. 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Siobhan727 welcome to the community!

Does anyone else notice issues with your mother in law? Is there anyone you can ask? Does she live in her own home for the rest of the time?

The Alzheimers Association have some info on symptoms of dementia:

Symptoms of dementia

Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way. The different types of dementia also tend to affect people differently, especially in the early stages. Other factors that will affect how well someone can live with dementia include how other people respond to them and the environment around them.

A person with dementia will have cognitive symptoms (to do with thinking or memory). They will often have problems with some of the following:

• day-to-day memory – for example, difficulty recalling events that happened recently
• concentrating, planning or organising – for example, difficulties making decisions, solving problems or carrying out a sequence of tasks (such as cooking a meal)
• language – for example, difficulties following a conversation or finding the right word for something
• visuospatial skills – for example, problems judging distances (such as on stairs) and seeing objects in three dimensions
• orientation – for example, losing track of the day or date, or becoming confused about where they are.

A person with dementia will also often have changes in their mood. For example, they may become frustrated or irritable, apathetic or withdrawn, anxious, easily upset or unusually sad. With some types of dementia, the person may see things that are not really there (visual hallucinations) or strongly believe things that are not true (delusions).

Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms gradually get worse over time. How quickly this happens varies greatly from person to person. As dementia progresses, the person may develop behaviours that seem unusual or out of character. These behaviours may include asking the same question over and over, pacing, restlessness or agitation. They can be distressing or challenging for the person and those close to them.

A common pattern for diagnosis is for the GP to make an initial assessment and then refer the person to a memory clinic or other specialist service for a more detailed assessment. A specialist doctor will have more expertise in dementia and will be able to arrange more detailed tests and brain scans, if needed. The diagnosis should be communicated clearly to the person and usually those closest to them as well. There should also be a discussion about the next steps.