Brenda Thornton
Sometimes, patients are diagnosed with dementia and it can simply be drug interactions. My grandmother was diagnosed with demtntia and my mother was beside herself. I am an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and I asked my mother to give me the drugs and dosages my grandmother was on and I felt that she was on too many who overlapped and interacted. The next time I returned home, I went with my grandmother for her doctor appointment, pinned the doctor down, and we came up with a simpler drug regimen which did not threaten her conditions, changed the combination of medicines because some interact more, and slightly changed her diet, and in two weeks, her dementia began to clear up. In a month, she was back to her old self. I don't know what the situation is here and if alcohol or drug abuse could be a contributor, but check into everything and get a correct diagnosis. Sometimes occupational therapy can help set up the patient for a way to better manage the forgetfulness.