Originally Posted by
gazhekwe
I'm so glad to hear your mother is improving. As our parents age, we are learning so many things can lead to confusion, things that have nothing to do with chronic debilitating dementia. Dehydration, medication interactions, stress, common illnesses like a cold, drinking a little more vino than usual, blood glucose variations.
For a time I really thought my father had lost it as I stayed with him to help him recuperate from knee surgery. He was wandering about in the night doing all kinds of things he shouldn't with his knee, and thinking he was exploring somewhere strange. I'd wake up and find him at the opposite end of the house lost. Turns out, it was taking him over a week to work out the anesthesia, or at least, that is the best the doctor could come up with. He was also on pain pills that we discontinued in favor of ibuprofen. We turned on the lights at night so when he woke up, he could see where he was, and from then on, he was fine and is still doing fine at home today nearly two years later.