Question: My 90-year-old mother has had dementia for the last four or five years. How can we best deal with her during these difficult days?
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Late onset dementia at the age of 90 is best dealt with conservatively. Alzheimer’s medications usually don’t improve dementia, but some may slow its progression. Be sure your doctor has checked your mother for correctable causes of dementia.
Conditions include those that relate to brain disorders (aneurism, stroke, hemorrhage, infarction or tumor), infection (local or generalized including syphilis), and alcohol or drug use. Other conditions include nutritional deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies (thiamine deficiency, B12 deficiency), undiagnosed metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism, circulatory disorders, or even untreated psychiatric disorders.
Avoid overmedicating and treat for comfort. After treating any underlying medical conditions, seek a neurologic consultation without delay. Above all, maintain a sense of familiarity, calm, and comfort in her surroundings. Maintain your own health, and teach your children to treasure life now, as only God knows what the future holds for all of us. Maintaining her diet, nutrition and activity will provide you and her with the most comfort in these last years of her life.
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