Just before Christmas 2004 I went to visit my mother in her care home as usual ( I was there at least 5 nights a week)but.... my mam wasnt there anymore. This simpleton had taken her place. My poor mam. Gone "simple", "nice but dim". I was hit by grief, grieving for my mam that was (is ) still alive. It never goes away. I visit her daily, I mean EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. I remember in December 2005 the doctor came to increase her dosage of Haloperidol (he doubled the dose-dont know why she was on that shit in the first place tho, turns out she was actualy being given TRIPLE by the "care" home. Feb 2006 hospitalised five and half weeks, Aug 2006 back in hospital again for three and half weeks. May/June hospitalised again 4 weeks in total, given 50/50 chance of living/dying. All medication was ceased, she was "delerios" most of the time so unsafe to administer medication. Mam recovered, never went back on Haloperidol. AND IT WAS LIKE SHE CAME ALIVE AGAIN. Looking back to end of June 2008 when she was back in the care home and she was scofting food by herself and drinking full mugs of tea and talking FULL SENTENCES...I suddenly realised..THIS is how she should be, not the person who would hardly speak. The person who I would feed each day at evening meal time.(and take about 40 minutes to get through it because of having to be so careful) But anyway, she has Vascular Dementia as far as Im aware. "Nice but dim" is what I call it, yet at the same time she can be horrible, not nice. Strange behaviour,referring to herself as "we", not I or me. Slapping her mouth because of coughing or saying "its".(she would say "its" repeatedly, I never fathomed out what it means-if I asked her what "its" was about she'd just laugh) Swearing at the carers, calling black carers/nurses n*****s, its been absolutely horrendous. Yet just lately when I visit and she is watching a good movie, particularly a musical the change is amazing. You wouldnt think there was much wrong with her. She loves musicals like "Show boat", or "Brigadoon", or stuff by Mario Lanza,when theyre on its incredible, she becomes so bright and "normal" its amazing. But like i say, the major difference took place when she stopped having that Haloperidol. Im mentioning this repeatedly because I hope it might help other people out there because I think medication is actually part of the problem. I feel that my mothers abilities to function were taken away from her for a long time,and I also feel that she became CLOSE TO DEATH because of afore mentioned medication, so...watch out.