We have this symptom with my dad. In fact it was the first noticeable symptom we had and that was 12 years ago. It has played an enormous role in his and our lives. When I drive he has seen every car. If someone is driving fast or erratically that happened last time, or he always sees them. Mostly my answer is ‘up yes it’s a funny old world’. (My response satisfies him and me, it reminds me how crazy we all are!) Although admittedly if a driver has riled and then he goes on to tell me that it happened to me before and how the other driver seems to be always doing this, I admit I have to count to ten then. We always park next to the same car. Driving is challenging on busy roads anyway. It’s like always having to sing wheels on the bus on every car journey and sometimes you need to focus yourself.
It’s the same with t v and mum follows a soap opera so it’s always new, but he has always watched it. We are dismissive of that and agree all the story lines are very similar. Occasionally he will become determined to know if he has really seen it and can become very argumentative.
Some situations are impossible to dismiss. He thought I had put his meat in my freezer and came out look at the place where he put it. He told me a very realistic scenario where I put it in a lower drawer where It would be safe. When it wasn’t there I think he thought I had eaten it. When he loses things he creates scenarios of who has borrowed the items. This has caused a lot of confrontation.
Always best to avoid the confrontation as much as possible. He ends up getting upset. Saying he is funny in the head. Dad hasn’t got a formal diagnosis. I believe he has vascular dementia.