Lutheran Sunset Ministries

Inspired retirement living options in Bosque County, Texas

  • About Us
    • Our Location
    • Our History and Heritage
    • Our Future
    • Mission & Values
  • Our Residences
    • Retirement Living
      • Retirement Living Floor Plans
    • Assisted Living
      • Assisted Living Floor Plans
    • Long-Term Care
      • Rehab/Therapy
    • Memory Support
  • Other Programs
    • Hospice
    • Companion Services
    • Volunteerism
      • Pot O’ Gold Thrift Store
  • News
    • Sunset Senior Guide Blog
    • Newsletter & Blog Sign-up
    • Read Our Newsletter
    • Sunset Lifelong Learning
  • Contact
    • Spirit of Giving
    • Campus Map
  • Careers
  • COVID-19 Information
You are here: Home / news / Are Your Loved One’s Dementia Symptoms Reversible?

Are Your Loved One’s Dementia Symptoms Reversible?

February 8, 2015 by lutheransunset Leave a Comment

Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather
Untitled

iStockphoto/Thinkstock

By Gary Drevitch, Next Avenue

Among the myriad ways my kids have it better than me: As a child, I had only two grandparents, one of whom died when I was still very young. But my kids, at least the older two, were born with a full complement of grandmas and grandpas, plus a great-grandmother, and while the ranks of grandparents have thinned somewhat in recent years, that 98-year-old “Nanny,” my wife’s grandmother, endures.

In fact, Nanny continues to live on her own, in an Upper Manhattan apartment, with the support of her walker, a daytime home-care aide, and a delightful pet cat. She manages her finances and keeps up with her large extended family, limited in conversation only by her somewhat impaired hearing.

So it was a surprise to many of us when she recently started to show fairly sudden and pronounced signs of dementia, characterized by mood swings, a far less sharp conversational tone, and paranoia, especially about her finances. Still, given her age, many of those around her imagined that this was it, that she had finally succumbed to dementia and would face declining faculties for the rest of her life.

We were wrong.

After a few weeks, Nanny was taken to her doctor to find out what the cause of her dementia might be. As it turned out, she was not suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or, in fact, any permanent dementia-causing syndrome. She had a simple urinary-tract infection, which was treated with antibiotics, restoring her previous sharpness.

I should have been able to come up with this diagnosis. My late mother long lived with, and eventually died from complications of, vascular dementia, a condition periodically worsened by UTIs, which caused increased agitation and confusion. When the urinary tract infections were treated, the symptoms eased, although the accumulated infections probably sped up the overall progression of her dementia.

UTIs, which affect women more often than men, are common among the elderly, and easily treated with antibiotics. They represent just one of several conditions that can potentially cause dementia or delirium-like effects in that population. According to the National Institute on Aging, too many doctors make the same mistake that most relatives do, seeing dementia as a natural part of aging and failing to check for causes of what is sometimes called pseudosenility or reversible dementia. Depending on the overall health of the patient, reversible symptoms resembling dementia can be caused by high fever, dehydration, vitamin deficiency or poor nutrition, a bad reaction to medications, a thyroid problem or a minor head injury. (Learn more from Next Avenue about the link between hearing loss and dementia.) Stress or depression can also bring on similar symptoms and should be treated to alleviate the effects.

The real shame is that, as the National Institute on Aging puts it, “much pain and suffering can be avoided if older people, their families, and their doctors recognize dementia as a disease, not part of normal aging.”

Family caregivers who notice sudden, unexplained changes in their loved one’s personality, whether it be confusion, agitation, or withdrawal, should take action and contact a doctor who can explore all the possible causes, rather than throwing up their hands and accepting the symptoms as an inevitable part of aging. Keep in mind that your loved one, as he or she suffers the effects of reversible dementia, is unlikely to be able to communicate the cause to you.

With quick action, a caregiver may be able to get relief for the patient’s symptoms and help a loved one, like Nanny, return to the business of watching Grand Slam tennis tournaments, playing cards, and dispensing candy and quarters to great-grandchildren.

Copyright© 2014 Next Avenue, a division of Twin Cities Public Television, Inc.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmailby feather

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Conditions and Treatments, Health, Lutheran Sunset Ministries, Wellness

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Answering the Call
  • It’s All in the Hands
  • Do Longevity Supplements Work and Are They Safe?
  • Lessons From the Resilience of Older Adults in 2020
  • Alex Trebek: In His Own Words

Recent Comments

  • Joyce Symank on Lessons From the Resilience of Older Adults in 2020
  • Joyce Symank on Loving our Loved Ones from Afar
  • Charlotte Carpentr on Loving our Loved Ones from Afar
  • Joyce Symank on Life in Assisted Living
  • Joyce Symank on Life in Assisted Living

Archives

  • July 2022
  • December 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • May 2014

Categories

  • news
  • slider
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Celebrating 65 years of ministry and service to the seniors of Clifton and Bosque County, Lutheran Sunset Ministries offers inspired retirement living options at every life stage. Our 32-acre campus is designed as an intimate setting of neighborhoods that accommodate residents at various levels of care. In addition to quality health and wellness opportunities, Lutheran Sunset Ministries provides an enriched lifestyle through innovative programs, interdisciplinary activities, and a focus on physical, intellectual, social and spiritual growth.

Providing the only full continuum of care available in Bosque County—including independent living, assisted living, long-term care, rehabilitation and therapy, memory support, hospice services and companion services—Lutheran Sunset Ministries is a cornerstone of the region. With a state-of-the-art healthcare building, an increase in services and amenities, and a rededication to providing services that allow people to live full and enriched lives, Lutheran Sunset Ministries has created a quality of life unparalleled in the region.

Call us at 254.675.8637 to learn more about becoming a resident at Lutheran Sunset Ministries.

 


The Spirit of Sunset

Hear from residents why they love living in a community of culture, faith and natural beauty.

Newsletter & Blog Sign Up

  • Donate
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • FAQ
  • Frequently Used Terms
  • Our Residences
  • Other Programs
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • COVID-19 Information

Corporate Office
P.O. Box 71
413 Sunset Avenue
Clifton, Texas 76634
Phone: 254-675-8637
Fax: 254-675-3044
Corporate Compliance Hotline:
254-675-4725

Lutheran Sunset Ministries is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Section 1557 Grievance Procedure

Copyright © 2023 Lutheran Sunset Ministries · Login