Anyone else experienced this? Mum worn glasses all her life: now refusing to wear

[tonebear]

Hi lovely people on this Forum

I wonder if you are experiencing what I am with your loved ones as PWD?

This is now new to me and my brother. Mum's probably middle to late Alzheimer's.

Mum's worn glasses all her life. We've kept her presciption up-to-date, and she's always worn her glasses, even since being in her care home 2022, but in the last few months, she's decided that she doesn't want to wear her glasses and now refuses to wear them.

My brother and I had labelled them, and also, because she wanted to have frames that were colourful, we know the glasses she has are hers.

Mum is now saying "... these aren't my glasses!". And is also refusing to wear them.

It seems that something in her brain can't cope with wearing glasses any more even though they are her perscription and her glasses.

Whilst she's been in the care home, she's lost loads of pairs of expensive glassses, even though labelled by us, the care staff have said they can't find them. For a while we were always paying over £350 each time to replace her glasses as she has special varifocle lenses etc which cost quite a lot of money.

We've now decided to give up spending her money on replacement glasses because she's seems to have turned a weird corner, and no longer wants to wear glasses.

Has anyone else gone through this with their loved ones? Is a PWD thing?###

Thank you to all who reply.

Same sort of thing, my piglet ( wife) has used an electric toothbrush since they first came out and now refuses to even recognise it or use it. She wants the ones she had before ( before when? ) i have tried to find a toothbrush similar to a 1930/40 one but that of course is impossible.






W

 

[TMH]

Ooh yes - the amount of drinks that have ended in the floor as he ‘puts’ them on the table. And always either too close to the toilet pan or too far away- I try to persuade him to sit on it, but doesn’t usually work.

I don't think anything works, you just have to accept that this is your new norm and walk around with a cloth and mop stuck to your hand x

 

[Rayreadynow]

I have had the same difference of opinion with the Care Home. They can prompt people to wear glasses but cannot force them and after a few times of trying will probably not bother prompting again.
I was wondering if the persons mind is interpreting things around them in a different way or may be hallucinating whilst wearing glasses and they have associated this with the glasses and therefore doesn't want to wear them anymore but is unable to explain this.

 

[annieka 56]

Ooh yes - the amount of drinks that have ended in the floor as he ‘puts’ them on the table. And always either too close to the toilet pan or too far away- I try to persuade him to sit on it, but doesn’t usually work.

My husband became quite suddenly totally incontinent. Last September he started wearing pull ups at nights which was quite a game changer as he slept instead of getting up every hour needing a wee. Absolutely always too far away from the toilet during the day. I resorted to using a pile of old towels ('dog' towels for after rainy dog walks) to mop up.
Too far away from the wash basin too! I felt he imagined he was going to fall into it...one memorable day just before Christmas I tried to wrangle him nearer to the wash basin, he lunged forward grabbing the wash basin and pulling it away from the wall. In trying to help him he gave me an almighty shove and I fell backwards into the bath.
If we had both been seriously hurt it would have made a fascinating crime scene!
Since then it's been Nil Aqua products for gentle water free cleaning.

 

[Knitandpurl]

So lucky neither of you were seriously hurt, we don’t heal as well or quickly now we’re older. But still must have been a big shock for you both. Here my OH is still mainly continent but we do have accidents and we carry an ‘emergency’ pack with us wherever we go.

 

[SREE]

I was diagnosed to have Mild Cognitive Impairment ,multiple joint problems and mild deafness.
I am provided with HEARING AIDS. I don't wear them at home as I have separate TV and I can increase the volume and follow.I like to wear when I go for meetings but most of the time I forget and realise only after going to the meeting.

 

[Knitandpurl]

Welcome @SREE , Do you have an Alexa or Google Nest or SIRI or other digital assistant? If do you could ask it to remind you to put your hearing aids in. Might be an idea to get into the habit of putting them in every morning whether you are going out or not. It is known that deafness can make dementia worse, progress quicker, so it’s important to wear them.

 

[Sarasa]

I have severe hearing loss so know if I haven't got my aids in as I can't hear anything! When my hearing wasn't too bad I did forget them quite often, but I agree with @Knitandpearl about a reminder, or just putting them somewhere every night where you'll spot them in the morning. The more you wear them the more your brain will adapt so try and wear them at home as well if you can. If they aren't very comfortable go back to the audiology clinic and see if they can help.