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Patients "act out" when it's just you there?
Caregivers: Dementia | Last Active: Sep 23 9:03pm | Replies (12)Comment receiving replies
Yes, it's the same thing with my wife. A clever strategy, and surprising that she can pull it off so effectively. The fact that she is able to do this, I believe, is one big reason why other family members don't help care for her, or provide relief for the 24/7 caregiver. Although her cognitive decline and memory issues are getting worse, her mind still works quickly. If she senses she has conveyed her mental challenges in talking with relatives, she instantly changes the subject and asks questions to distract. Often the same questions she has already asked just seconds or minutes ago.
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@chris20, YES! I have the same situation, my husband is completely obstreperous with me, won't relax his foot so I can put on a shoe, won't let me wipe the food off his face ( slaps my hand away) and I tell his Neuro these things but at the office, my husband is all smiles and little chuckles. He doesn't really speak due to severe aphasia but he can totally fake a conversation for a minute. Doc: "How are you Tim?" Tim: "GREAT!"(big grin) Doc: "Any changes? Are you having any issues?" Tim: "NOPE! All good!" now if he had to say more, he can't. But it's fascinating! It's on purpose. If anyone had to spend 30 minutes with him, they'd figure out he's masking. I think it's a sign of overall intelligence that they understand when to "be good". For you, hire help, take breaks, look into respite care, be good to yourself!