Confusion over time of day

[Summereve]

about 4pm my mum thinks it’s the next day and starts to get ready to leave the house. We have a clock which tells the day, morning, afternoon etc but this doesn’t seem to help. Any suggestions how we can break this cycle.

 

[Louise83]

I set up routines on the Amazon echo/alexa to say "it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon' etc a few times a day. Think it helps my mum sometimes, although she has to be in the same room when it goes off obviously.

 

[karaokePete]

Hello and welcome @Summereve.

The Society has a Factsheet that gives some general advice about this issue. If you wish, you can read it by clicking this link https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/media/16676

The full Publications list, which contains a lot of useful information can be seen if you click the next link https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/publications-factsheets-full-list

A chat with the GP may also produce something to help the situation.

 

[canary]

about 4pm my mum thinks it’s the next day and starts to get ready to leave the house.

Im betting that she has just woken up after an afternoon snooze.
Mum used to do that all the time. When they get to the stage that they lose their internal awareness of time, dementia logic goes - Ive just woken up, so it must be morning - whatever time (night or day) the clock actually says. And there was no reasoning with mum, she was certain it was morning, so that was that.

 

[Shedrech]

hi @Summereve
a warm welcome to DTP

you say your mum gets ready, but does she actually leave ... in that, if she's calm getting herself ready and doesn't actually go out of the house, then maybe just let her be; it's a bit of a nuisance but no harm is being done ... after a while, make her a cuppa and see if she will sit and chat or watch TV, if not leave her to herself as long as she's safe

if she tries to leave, maybe just before that suggest you sit and have a cuppa and a treat while you make a list of shopping, work out a route, say you'll just check the TV as her favourite programme is due and you wouldn't want to miss it ie any kind of distraction she will accept but not telling her outright you won't be going out