The short answer is, these symptoms could be caused by either the disease itself or by the medication your loved one takes.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder that causes confusion and can affect ambulation; due to the effects on the brain, a person with Alzheimer’s can experience difficulty with perception which can affect the way a person walks; a shiny floor may appear wet, a black carpet strip may appear to be a threshold to be stepped over. These misperceptions can cause unsteadiness.

The difficulty here is that medication can also cause confusion and unsteadiness. As a caretaker, it is important for you to continually observe your loved one’s behavior. If he has changed a medication or changed the dosage of a current medication, you need to watch for side effects. A sudden increase in confusion is likely due to the change in medication, because Alzheimer’s does not typically progress that rapidly. To read about the side effects of medications, ask your pharmacist or visit the website of the specific medication; e.g., www.namenda.com. These websites will contain a lot of information.

Another possibility to be aware of is the physical difficulties that are unrelated to the Alzheimer’s or to any of your loved one’s medications. Sudden confusion or difficulty walking can be signs of pain or infection. This requires taking the time to observe behaviors and then do the detective work to figure out what the cause may be. Eventually you will begin to do this without needing to consciously think about it. But remember, when you have tried everything and nothing seems to be working, the symptoms might simply be a part of the disease’s progress and are out of your control.

Tags: alzheimers, caregiving