April, Aziriphale -- Lewy Body dementia sounds horrific. I'm so sorry and April, hope you do not have to go through that again.

Thanks, Suz. Yes, Lewy Body is truly horrific. This will sound terrible, but the only thing about it that is perhaps kinder than some forms of dementia is that its course is usually swift, and Lewy Body patients tend not to linger for years and years and years. (I'm sorry if that sounds heartless. I will say, though, that because my mother-in-law was only deeply impaired for two years, my husband and his brother still remember her well self and not the one who didn't know us and sometimes threw things at us.)

There aren't sharp, clear lines between the dementias, so people are sometimes misdiagnosed. Families think they know what type their loved one has and what to expect, and then the course turns out to be rather different than what they anticipated.

It's true that Lewy Body dementia usually spans a shorter time than Alzheimer's and other, less predictable dementias (like vascular), but the average is still 7 years. That's a long damn time.

Mind you, my mother's personality only really went off the rails for about the last three years. Before that, she was still mostly a sweet but confused old woman.

I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. There can be physical causes of dementia - a urinary tract infection is a comon one. Plus, there are common aging problems (inability to retrieve words) that are similar to the early signs of dementia. So, one step I would recommend is for you and your dad to talk to her doctor (preferably a geriatric specialist) about your concerns. He may not be able to disclose things about her state, but you can give him information that will help him evaluate her condition.

Both my mother and my late father had various forms of dementia. My dad started with forgetfulness, missing appointments, and not being able to problem solve. He remained very sweet and could pay bills but was easily taken advantage of. My mom's started after my dad's death when she had a psychotic break. After treatment, she was better but still had short term memory loss, repetitive stories, intense negativity. She sees a geriatric psychiatrist and is on some psychiatric medication which controls her extreme anxiety. It's been incredibly difficult for me.

BUT, everyone is different and there is help available. Let us know how things work out.