Brucie, right now my mother does (more or less) know how she feels. There are times when she is inappropriate - saying she's cold when she's sweating. Mostly, I think you're right - she's just trying to make conversation. But her voice is so flat and her face quite expressionless. Except of course, like today when I tried cajoling her into taking her dirty bra off & putting clean clothes on. I had managed to get her to wash up her smellier bits & pieces & should not have tried to get her to change her bra. After all, I got her to change her panties. So a big tantrum, swearing & marching out into the hall in panties & bra!! And you should have seen how my mother reacted!! (joke - okay it's a bad one but so what) She has done the Lady Godiva a number of times, particularly when she's being bathed.
What is it that AD patients hate baths & washing themselves & changing their clothes? It's so common. And my mother was incredibly persnickety when she was well. At the beginning of this interesting journey, I said to my husband "Mum's so particular, I'm sure her hygiene will be good for a long, long time." But Alzheimer's certainly has its surprises. I do have one little trick that usually works. When she gets stroppy about changing, bathing etc. I get her to smell her clothing or armpit. When she's quite ripe, she's much more amenable to cleaning up. She'll say in a surprised voice "It smells". The urge to respond with "No s--t Sherlock" is almost overwhelming.
She's been rather cranky the last week or so, telling me off quite a bit so it's been a little tiring. I just move out of her sight for 5 or 10 minutes, come back & start again. God I hate this disease.
What is it that AD patients hate baths & washing themselves & changing their clothes? It's so common. And my mother was incredibly persnickety when she was well. At the beginning of this interesting journey, I said to my husband "Mum's so particular, I'm sure her hygiene will be good for a long, long time." But Alzheimer's certainly has its surprises. I do have one little trick that usually works. When she gets stroppy about changing, bathing etc. I get her to smell her clothing or armpit. When she's quite ripe, she's much more amenable to cleaning up. She'll say in a surprised voice "It smells". The urge to respond with "No s--t Sherlock" is almost overwhelming.
She's been rather cranky the last week or so, telling me off quite a bit so it's been a little tiring. I just move out of her sight for 5 or 10 minutes, come back & start again. God I hate this disease.