Dear Sogovia
I'm surprised Brucie hasn't joined in this email, cos I think it is his message that always says "once you've met once person with Alzheimers, you've met on person with Alzheimers". The point being that every one is different. Just remember, though, that they were all once ordinary people going about their ordinary lives, cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, going to work, having children, looking after them very well, having sex!, hobbies, pastimes, watching telly, gardening. And they all had husbands or wives, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, work colleagues. They took decisions, managed money, they were just ordinary people like we are now.
I think you just have to take them as you find them. Don't deny their funny memories which might be wrong, just nod appreciatively and try and ask something else about them. I witnessed a new recruit care assistant at my mum's home last week, one resident asked (5 times!) Do you live near here? and she said yes. Full stop. That's not a good point. The resident went on. "Oh, where do you live?". She said "In the flats at such-and-such a street". "Oh" said the resident, "I know them". End of conversation. The Care worker should have picked up on it, she should have asked if the resident had lived near there herself, did she go to the church on the corner, did her family still live there. Missed Opportunity. Lots of people with Alzheimers are still able to, and enjoy, talking about themselves, and asking about you. It transpired that the new recruit has a baby, so I told her to bring in photos of her, or even bring in the baby.
Just remember that they are all people. They have a past, a present, and a future.
Love
Margaret