I have posted a few times before about how Mum has been struggling with her mixed Alzheimers, vascular dementia, depression and anxiety. We had terrible angry aggressive outbursts but we now seem to have entered a new, calmer but so much sadder phase. Mum has had hallucinations every day for past week about her Mum and Dad being in the house, "where have they gone, I was just chatting to them " ( they passed away 30 years ago), insisting her husband is her Dad as "my husband is 6 foot two and thick black hair" (which was true 25 years ago), forgetting most of the main family changes over past 10 years etc. she checks in about family members and when distraction fails we gently explain they have died but I wonder if we are making it harder. She eventually 'gets it' but it is just so sad watching her be in shock each time and then the dawning that something is wrong "my brain isn't working right, what's happening to me".
Would it be kinder to pretend they are all alive? She forgets nearly everything in minutes in any event. Should we write it out for her or would this be rubbing salt in her wounds? Advice from anyone else caring for someone going through this would burps appreciated (pS, we checked and there is no infection). Thanks
Would it be kinder to pretend they are all alive? She forgets nearly everything in minutes in any event. Should we write it out for her or would this be rubbing salt in her wounds? Advice from anyone else caring for someone going through this would burps appreciated (pS, we checked and there is no infection). Thanks