My mom (82) and dad (78) live alone and have been getting along ok until recently, when my mom is suddenly exhibiting dementia symptoms, including hallucinations and thinking it's 1980. It lasts a few hours or a day, and then she is mostly ok again. She was withdrawn, sleeps alot, not dressing, and refused to leave the house in months. We finally got her to the ER, and they admitted her, gave her a full workup, and other than some bronchitis, have not found anything physically wrong. She is now in rehab (her lower legs where swollen and she was unable to walk by the end of the hospital stay) and on aricept and wellubtrin. She is getting structure and interaction there. She is suppose to be there a couple of weeks. My great fear is, that when they release her, and she goes back home, they fall into the same bad pattern of my mother being withdrawn and spiraling downwards. I think it would be good to have a home health aide come to the house a few times a week to force her to get dressed and interact with her, if my dad cannot get her to leave the house. Does anyone have any opinions here? I don't think they require a live-in, and they seem resistant (right now, anyway) to go to AL.