It is becoming increasingly hard to keep my cool with my mom. It is a constant struggle in the evening of her wanting to go home. Will she ever accept that she lives with us now. She has been here for a year, previously in a assisted living dementia unit for a year. It is exhausting with the Capgrass episodes in which she "trades" places with me...im the mom and she is the daughter, or she is a young girl. I wonder if it is cruel joke to pay me back for all the tough times i put her through as a teenager? she is constantly "sleep walking" through out the nite with a purpose, finding her keys, catching the bus whatever her train of thought has brought her to...she is so tired that i am afraid of her falling, and then we will have a day or two or just even a glimpse of the "old" mom she used to be with just a little confusion. She is definetly experiencing "sundowning" that is usually associated with alz..the confusion, wanting to go see her mom etc.. pretty much starts between 3-4 everyday...i am not sleeping...she is not sleeping....havent posted in awhile just needed to let out steam and see if anyone has any insight/input. Thanks for letting me rant! mary

Can you place her in assisted living again, for your own sake?

Robin, thanks for your suggestion. I think that it will come to that again, but i wanted to try to hold out until at least next spring. She is still doing so much better than what she was doing in the dementia unit. We havent been to her neurologist in awhile, just the psychiratrist, i want to talk to him about some of the studies of Dr Bovea ? and other suggestions I have picked up along the way from the forum. I needed a little release last nite. I guess it is normal! I "yelled" in my writing instead of at her! Her primary did suggest that i give her two klonopin at nite, one around 7 pm and i could repeat around 11-12 if needed, depending on how early she needed to get up the next day. I just started having someone come in from 4-8 pm two times a week so that i can cook dinner, help the kids with homework, take a shower (ha) in peace. Again, thanks, and I will be reading and keeping the faith!

Hi! I would definiteluysee the neurologist if you haven't been for a bit. Our doctor has been a big help when we describe all that we are going through.

What is it about 3 or 4 in the afternoon? When my dad is going through a rought time that is the bewitching hour for us. It got so we took him out for a bit before that time arrived and sometimes it kept the worst from happening but of course we could not do that eadch day.

Dealing with this alone would be exhausting but add in the normal taking care of yourself and/or a family...woah..that's a rough one.

Mary, I brought my Dad back home ( he was living with us originally) from the assisted living facility a few months after he went in. The only way we were able to do it was because he had awesome Long Term Care insurance which was an either/or type. His sitter came at 11pm and left about 7:30. That's the only was we were able to get any sleep. We tried it ourselves before he went to the AL facility, but my husband and I had to take turns sleeping in the bed with my Dad because he would roam around all night. Does your Mom have insurance that might cover a sitter at night?