My father has diabetes and moderate to severe dementia. He was extremely agitated, exit seeking, combative and at times violent. This would occur esp if he had UTI or was dehyrdated. He had a stroke and was in hosp. where they found 2 clots , one near his lung and one closer up to his brain. Dr decided to put a blood filter in his carotid artery since he has pretty severe looking legs from diabetes. His legs don't get circulation and look terrible to me. The hemotologist said that the filter would keep blood clots from going from his legs to his lungs. The viewed the clots again and one of them had dissipated on it's own. Here is the question: Miraculously, my father is all of a sudden a happy camper. He in wheelchair bound and wears briefs- he cannot walk. Prior to this time, they had tried depends and he had fallen countless times. Sometimes he would hit his head, but not every time. He was so emphatic about leaving, it was DIS-stressful. He was kicked out of a nursing home for his agitation toward the nurses. He was the same to nurses at the new one until this blood filter. Now that he has had this stroke and gotten the blood filter, he is very nice, compliant and not fussy at all. He is the nicest I have ever seen him, even joking about the nursing home. He no longer asks to leave. The nurses have even noted the difference. THANK GODDESS! Anyway, I am just so curious about it. Is it possible that his brain just wasn't getting enough oxygen or was somehow blocked from clots and now that he doesn't have the clots, he is getting the proper amount? Nevertheless, it seems he is so much happier and in fact at times, when I visit, it seems that I am interrupting his social life. :) It makes me feel so much better about him being in the NH. thx :) butterflygrl