Just curious if anyone had a similar situation with their Alzheimers loved one. My dad is in stage 6 ALZ and has been getting reoccurring UTI's. He lives in Assisted Living and I visit twice a week. In the past, he has seemed lethargic and withdrawn when the first symptoms of a UTI surfaced (I try to catch the symptoms quickly to make sure the nurses are getting the urine sample and antibiotics right away.) His normal baseline is not to talk too much, sit slumped in a wheelchair, difficulty getting up and moving to his chair, no smiles, no joking--- pretty glum. Today when I visited him, I found him on the floor (he fell out of his wheelchair), but he insisted that he was just fine and would get up on his own --- he said he was not hurt and to basically let him alone. Of course, I called in the nurses, but over the next hour he chatted and joked more in one hour's time that I believe the last month all put together! He remembered things incredibly well, told me he wanted to finally get his pilot's license (that he has always wanted to do all his life), fussed and joked with the nurses, told me it is time he visit's my house again and that it's been awhile (all true), and basically interacted incredibly well. But he was off the wall and some of the things he said did not make sense. And it took two of us to get him to the bathroom --- he was much weaker than his baseline. The nurses are pulling urine samples, but in the meantime: Has anyone experienced this? Where their LO was suddenly chatty and interactive (when they normally are VERY quiet), with a sharper memory than before and that was the symptom of a UTI? The nurses told me that he normally does this when he has one, but I've never seen him like this when I was visiting. It was very strange. And this is NOT how he normally is when he is feeling well and rested --- his normal baseline is pretty solemn and quiet, glum.
https://coping.today/what-does-showtime-mean/
https://www.homecare.co.uk/advice/show-timing-in-dementia-what-it-means-and-how-it-can-affect-diagnosis
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/stages-of-alzheimers-disease-118964.htm
We are experiencing this right now with what I think is another UTI and are waiting on test results. It is so hard because when my dad is like this, he is so hard to deal with. Normally he is calm and pleasant but the delirium makes him so agitated and just crazy talk. It is upsetting to see and I am sure distressing for him.
If you are unfamiliar with delirium, Google it. Very common in elderly and especially in those with dementia when they get any kind of infection or are in the hospital.
Many medications can cause chronic UTI's. May be time to look at what meds he is taking and see if any can be cut. For example a dementia patient shouldn't be on statins. Statins can cause UTI's.