What happened on Shabbos...

cbsp

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 12:35 pm

I very much like the idea of suggestion to distribute a written version of his thoughts.

If this behavior was out of character for the grandfather then maybe it's a UTI or a kidney issue? That can contribute to altered perception of reality and agitation (most people can figure out when they've gone way over 5 minutes...)

Last edited by cbsp on Sun, Oct 10 2021, 4:21 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Bluebell

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 1:15 pm

OP, it depends what "not making any sense" means. Does it mean that he was just rambling on and on like an older person who likes to talk? That's what it sounds like you're describing. I've been at simchos with those kinds of speeches, and they're painful and embarrassing for the family. But I don't really think there's anything to do about it.

If it means that he's trying to get a point across and is noticeably stumbling or making errors that are not typical for him, then that's a cause for concern. But if it's just a less-than-stellar public speaker thinking they're a star, it makes you cringe with embarrassment, but there's nothing else to do, really.

amother

Denim

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 3:32 pm

Dementia starts slowly and at the beginning it's hard to recognize it for what it is. In the case of my relative what op described was almost exactly what happened at the very beginning. Some of us there wondered if it was the start of something. There were other incidents not all at once but happening every few weeks, some small some more alarming. Diagnosis came about four years later. The first thing you need to do op is educate yourself about different types of dementia and what the symptoms are. If this incident is followed by more, bring up your concerns with the person's doctor. Every individual is different and even the doctor can't be sure what's going on but he'll be able to evaluate the patient and possibly refer him to a neurologist or geriatric specialist when he feels it's necessary.

amother

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 3:53 pm

amother [ Denim ] wrote:

Yes we have seen other small things of confusion here and there, but nothing like what happened shabbos, which seemed to be a total disconnect from reality.
Also, he abuses his medications. He sounded a bit drugged.

amother

SandyBrown

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 4:05 pm

Well then maybe he was drugged.

When my grandfather, over 90, started saying things that were bizarre and out of character, it wasn't dementia. It was brain cancer.

If I were a close family member of this man, I would discuss th incident with family and his doctor.

egam

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 4:10 pm

cbsp wrote:

I very much like the idea of suggesting to distribute a written version of his thoughts.

If this behavior was out of character for the grandfather then maybe it's a UTI or a kidney issue? That can contribute to altered perception of reality and agitation (most people can figure out when they've gone way over 5 minutes...)

I’ve seen a UTI making a person very confused. It definitely worth checking.

amother

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 5:37 pm

egam wrote:

I’ve seen a UTI making a person very confused. It definitely worth checking.

He was under the weather amd complained of being cold the whole Shabbos. He was dressed in many layers and still felt very cold.

Not sure if there is a connection.
He didn't sound confused. He sounded psychotic. (I'm no doctor. Just that's what it seemed to his family.)

amother

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 5:38 pm

amother [ Iris ] wrote:

or maybe many people are saying he just "gaffes" and "stutters" and always has

No. He was always a smooth speaker and very in tune with his surroundings. This was different.

Chickensoupprof

Sun, Oct 10 2021, 5:53 pm

OP, I'm not a doctor or a nurse in the field of geriatric/psychiatrists/neurology for that matter who can discuss this and give a diagnosis. If this happens often the family should consult a professional ASAP if they hadn't done it yet. It might be something it might be nothing. We shouldn't take the amothers who holler loudly about diagnosis seriously sometimes certainly not with medical diagnosis.