Out of hospital, no answers

Four weeks in hospital and the geriatrician claims she does not have Alzheimers or any major form of dementia. What??! I am living Alzheimers from the Front Row. I know what's happening. All the nurses told me she was constantly confused, had no idea what day it was or even whether it was breakfast time or bed time.

I will never take her back to that doctor again. It's unbelievable. The G.P. read out her findings to us.

The next day, the physical therapist visited the house and I told him what the geriatrician said. He said he had the Alzheimers test in his bag of tricks and would see what result he came up with.

So he gave her the test which lasted over an hour. It was very comprehensive. There was very little she could either do, or remember. She couldn't even tell him how to make a sandwich - she started with "I'd get a knife"....she has a frightening obsession with sharp things. When he asked what she'd do if she was cooking on the stove and the doorbell and phone both rang, she did not say "I'd turn off the stove".

It was clear to him that she is a danger to herself alone in that house. He had a talk to her about moving to my place. She agreed, but she won't remember agreeing by tomorrow or the next day. I am just going to have to MAKE her move whether she wants to or not, before she does herself some terrible damage.

We went to see the renal specialist today. He was absolutely horrified that the was given Remeron (mirtazapine) as well as anti-convulsants that she does not need. He said what I believe, that these things are poisons and that her kidneys are barely coping as it is, without having added substances to deal with.

Thank you, Dr Cheng Wen. I really appreciate Chinese doctors with their alternative approach. Thank you for coming to Australia and for helping Mum.

Dr Wen respects elderly people. He talks to the patient, not the carer. He asks questions that show he cares. He remembers things about Mum, such as that she does oil painting.