My mother is 85 and has been diagnosed with small blood vessal disease in her brain.  Is that not dimensha or alztimers?  She is already been seeing things and people that no longer are around.  Its mostly in the evenings this occurs. What should I expect in the next months to come?  She is in an assisted living facility.
Hi, Thank you for your query. As you mentioned that your mother is living in an assisted living facility it will be better to get a psychological assessment done before we start thinking of other causes. Living without relatives and the environment of the living facility can cause an elderly person to behave as mentioned by you. It is very common to have small blood vessel damage with advancing age. The extent of damage and the area of the brain affected may also give rise to symptoms. Without a clinical examination it is not possible to diagnose whether your mother is developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease. I hope I have answered your query to your satisfaction. Wishing your mother all the best. Rajiv K Khandelwalhttp