The following are excerpts from my journal. 

Nov 2015.

Mum is 91 and dad is 94.

Mum is unwell with continuous UTI  and has low spirits - depression?

Dec 25, 2015

Mum is delirious and is hospitalised for a week. I stay with dad. He thinks she has died and is distressed. He needs her all the time like a baby. 

Fortunately, the night mum became ill, I had gone there to sleep over. I saw that she was delirious - she had wet the bed and was murmuring, shaking and perspiring. I called Celina who came over. We decide to call a GP which took ages because it was Xmas day. He finally called the ambulance. I regret I didn't call the ambulance immediately. I learnt my lesson for next time when dad fell over :- /

Jan - Feb 2016

Mum continues to be unwell through Jan - Feb.

She cuts all contact with friends, doesn't answer the phone or door. Carers are at home most days. Mum finds it hard to tolerate this and hides in her room or lies in bed most of the time. 

Celina and I take her to see a psychogeriatrician who diagnoses her with Vascular Dementia. He says that maybe she’s had it for many years already. He explains that it gets worse with time, and she will become more eccentric.