Nightime/Daytime confusion?

[Linbrusco]

The other morning Mum said to me
" Do I go to bed tonight?"

I was a bit confused so I said Ummm Yes.

She then said " Do I go to bed tonight because it will be nighttime"

Yes, You go to bed at nighttime when it is dark.

She then said " Do I go to bed at nighttime, because in the morning it will be another number?"

What she is meaning, is she checks her phone every morning when she gets up which can be from 3am to see what date it is on her phone.
Not that she comprehends what the actual date is, just because the phone magically changes the numbers and months every day


Just wondering if this sort of conversation is indicative of starting to get Night/Day mixed up...
or I suppose it's any bodys guess?

Mum does get up about midnight to the loo, and gets up 2-3 times from 3am onwards, but she does go back to bed, but only after checking the phone, checking the TV guide for the day and checking her calendar as to what is happening that day.
Sometimes I wonder if I should get rid of all 3

 

[hvml]

Morning Linbrusco.

I'm quite new to this,so sorry if my response is too simplistic, but it sounds to me as if she is trying hard to find a way to deal with the confusion and keep herself in the present. It's probably giving her a lot of reassurance to have a reliable source of information at her fingertips. It's something she knows how to use and looks for when she is on her own. If I were in your position, I wouldn't take it away.

My Dad gets very confused about day and night and tends to panic in the small hours, shouting for me until I wake up. I'm wondering if there is something like what your Mum has, to give him the peace of mind to relax back to sleep. It's only been happening for the last month, but is taking a toll on my health and ability to function effectively during the day.

He has also been getting increasingly confused about the time and will spend ages trying to work it out. The 24 hour clock on the tv really gets him. Maybe your Mum is beginning to feel like this and needs to try and keep a grip on it. The ability to tell the time involves a lot of complex reasoning when you are confused.

As I said, I'd not deprive her of her familiar items as they give her comfort and help her feel some kind of grip on the coming day.

 

[Linbrusco]

Hi Mum still lives at home with Dad It is getting increasingly difficult, but my parents live in their own house behind me.
Mum often wakes early hours of the morning and will wake him up to ask him what day it is too. Dad says sometimes he is woken by Mum pressing the buttons on the phone too.
Not trying to phn anyone, just checking the month and numbers

I recently had to take her medication box away, as although she only has breakfast meds to take, and I bring over her night ones which are more important, even the concept of "Breakfast" had her confused.
Responsibility of taking her own meds each morning proved to be too stressful for her.

Funny though she has lost concept of time, but can still tell the time on an old analogue clock, but on the memory test could not draw a clock or its hands.

 

[canary]

Have you tried a dementia clock?

http://sussexrokx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/day-clock-for-people-with-dementia.html

It doesnt always work especially in the later stages, but your mum seems to trying to work out what she should be doing and I think it may be worth trying.