Our very good doctor has basically took the stance that he can no longer manage my mother's meds. He suggest a behavioral unit to determine what she needs. What do you think about that? Is that normal? Has anyone had this situation? I find it hard to believe that my mom, which has been diagnosed, early about 9 years ago and now that she is in the latter stages that she is so different from others with alzheimers. How come normal meds don't work for her? So frustrated. Thanks for any help.
MEMM2014--Your Dr.'s recommendation that your Mom go to a memory unit to address her med needs is pretty common. As the disease progresses, the damage to the brain causes all kinds of changes in behavior and ability to function . The Medical Staff in such as unit specializes in sorting the problems out and determining what meds may work. Some will; some won't. Some have to be tried to see if they'll work. You should know also that some meds will work for a while and then their effect may drop or stop. Treating ALZ, or any of the Dementias, is an on going effort. With ALZ and the other Dementias, there are quite a few meds available to address the various symptoms but that's all they do. They will help your Mom be able to function better longer, behave more normally, and be less anxious and stressed, but they won't "fix" or heal her.
I think you're new here. Welcome. Hope this is a start on helping. You've landed among friends.
The term "behavioral unit" is rather vague. This could mean what Carosi2* said--a dementia or "memory care" unit of an ALF or nursing home. But it could also mean a geriatric psych unit of a hospital, that expressly addresses problem behavioral issues of people with dementia. My husband needed both. I suggest you get clarification from the doctor which one he means, as a starter. If this is a family doctor, it is quite possible that your mother's case is beyond his expertise and she would benefit from been seen by a specialist such as a neurologist or neuropsychiatrist.
BTW, most AD patients are in some way different from the others. Each brain is unique and that's one of the things that make this disease so challenging, it presents differently (to some degree) in each patient. There are no real "normal meds", etc. -- nothing is normal about Alzheimer's!