No sense of time at all...how can I help her?

[Emilyb]

Hi

In the past 4 weeks my MIL has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. She is 81 and has deteriorated quite quickly over the past few weeks. She has lost ALL sense of time. What today, this morning, yesterday, this afternoon, what 5 minutes is, what day of the week etc.... . Calendars and diaries just confuse her more and lead to 25+ phone calls daily to ask when things are happening. we got her a clock that shows day and night and this confuses her too. When it is dark outside (lots of daylight is confusing to her) she doesn't associate this with bedtime. She lives independently and sleeps odd hours and says she is constantly tired. 2 carers visit Mon-Fri and we do weekends. Can anyone help advise us how we can help her. I feel a more structured day would help her but she is reluctant to participate in organised lunches etc. Thanks

 

[janma221]

Not much help I'm afraid as my mother has no sense of time and when we visit it's nothing unusual to have toast (warm bread) and tea (sometimes with a teabag if we are lucky) in the early hours of the morning 2am last time.
She wanders at all times and has been brought back by the police quite a few times. Her CPN suggested getting one of those clocks and I said it wouldn't make a lot of difference and now you have said it confuses your mum in law I am even more convinced it wouldn't work. Hope somebody can give you some practical solutions.
Jan x

 

[Aquamanda]

My mother has also lost all sense of time and what day it is, despite having a digital clock with the date and day on it. She can still tell the time but does not seem to 'see it' if that makes sense. In your MIL's case, would it be any help at all if she had very dark curtains in her room that were drawn at night so maybe she would associate that with sleeping because the room itself would be dark? What about a sleeping tablet at night? Again, not noticing conditions outside seems to be the norm as well, unfortunately; my mother doesn't seem to be able to tell what time of day it or what the weather is like outside even when she is looking out the window.

 

[JaneDee]

Mum is the same (hence me being awake now), she will be up and dressed at random times throughout the night and doesn't seem to notice it's dark outside.

We bought her a toddler clock which she loves to look at but it doesn't work as she does not associate the sun and stars with day and night.

Sorry I am no help, I am also eager to hear suggestions!

 

[Jessbow]

I am lucky, because , once in bed Mum stays there. She has no concept of what time it is or what day it is, and her day is punctuated by what happens around her.

Its hard work , not leaving her for more than two hours, but its better than being there 24/7 ( I live 5 mins away)

When I appear ( or her carer) its because something is going to happen - get up time/shower , breakfast, elevenses/change pad, lunch, shower/nightie, bed. These shape her day. I find it does help if I can resist cooking her eveing meal at 2.30 pm (!) because she says she is hungry, by saying ''Charmaine does that, wait for her''.

We very much do routine around her, and it does seem to help

 

[MReader]

My husband has no idea of time, but is always asking what time it is - not that it makes any difference to him at all!!!
I bought recently, a Dementia Day clock which simply reads on a screen:
'Now it is Monday/Tuesday (etc) Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night (etc)'
He hated it at first as he said I was treating him like an imbecile, but now he is used to it, he loves it.
It was not cheap - £66 - but it does the trick for us, and is VAT free for dementia sufferers - cant be bad

 

[LYN T]

My Husband is now in a CH (aged 66 severe ALZ) .When he was at home he had no ides of time either. Especially at night Bad nights he was up and about every 1/2 hour. Good nights it was every two hours. He's the same in the CH and wanders into other residents roomsThe night carers take him downstairs and he nods off in an armchair. The Manager told me this and asked if I minded-but to be quite honest I didn't as I know how difficult it was to keep him in bed. As far as I'm concerned they are doing their very best and apart from tying him to the bed I have no ideas.Even when he's in the chair he's still talking to himself saying 'what's happening' 'what's going on' over and over again. He did that at home also.

Of course the mornings are still light so he has breakfast at 5.30 and then again when the other residents have theirs (he's forgotton that he's had his already but as he doesn't have a weight problem that's OK)

I'm afraid with Dementia the sense of time being lost is fairly usual.

Take care

Lyn T

 

[worriedson1]

My mother has also lost all sense of time and what day it is, despite having a digital clock with the date and day on it. She can still tell the time but does not seem to 'see it' if that makes sense. In your MIL's case, would it be any help at all if she had very dark curtains in her room that were drawn at night so maybe she would associate that with sleeping because the room itself would be dark? What about a sleeping tablet at night? Again, not noticing conditions outside seems to be the norm as well, unfortunately; my mother doesn't seem to be able to tell what time of day it or what the weather is like outside even when she is looking out the window.

I am so so sorry to read that, that touches the heartstrings, my mum at the moment thinks it's 5.25 AM

Let us all STAY STRONG AND TRY OUR BEST.

 

[worriedson1]

Hi

In the past 4 weeks my MIL has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. She is 81 and has deteriorated quite quickly over the past few weeks. She has lost ALL sense of time. What today, this morning, yesterday, this afternoon, what 5 minutes is, what day of the week etc.... . Calendars and diaries just confuse her more and lead to 25+ phone calls daily to ask when things are happening. we got her a clock that shows day and night and this confuses her too. When it is dark outside (lots of daylight is confusing to her) she doesn't associate this with bedtime. She lives independently and sleeps odd hours and says she is constantly tired. 2 carers visit Mon-Fri and we do weekends. Can anyone help advise us how we can help her. I feel a more structured day would help her but she is reluctant to participate in organised lunches etc. Thanks

That is so sad, so sorry, i just want to give you a huge hug

 

[Emilyb]

Thank you for your replies, it appears it is quite common! We are trying to build structure which has helped, my husband has had 2 days off work and has spen lots of time with her to help her fell like there has been a morning, lunchtime, afternoon, evening, bedtime..... How can we do this everyday and keep her living independently. We are just starting to find out what help or resource is available so hopefully over the next few weeks things may improve with daily structure.


This sounds really harsh but since she was diagnosed it seems she has stopped trying to help herself and become lazy, she is still able to do things, such as make some lunch or put some washing in but prefers to let others do it. We are trying to encourage and motivate.

 

[jaymor]

This sounds really harsh but since she was diagnosed it seems she has stopped trying to help herself and become lazy, she is still able to do things, such as make some lunch or put some washing in but prefers to let others do it. We are trying to encourage and motivate.

Emily this might not be the case. My husband within a week would loose the ability to do something. Monday he could make a sandwich, Friday he did not know he needed bread to make a sandwich. This happened with such a lot of the normal day to day tasks. The saddest part was when he forgot I was his wife and our home of 47 years was no longer recognised as his home.

It might just be that the diagnosis has depressed her and with your encouragement you may motivate her to take up the reins again but it could be the progression of the disease.

Jay x

 

[Sunbell]

I bought my mum 'a talking clock' but even that was a waste of money because when it stated say '5 minutes past two' she didn't understand what that time was anymore.

Writing notes and marking calendars became useless too because the AZ just took away all her understanding of time, days, dates etc.

Unfortunately it is a common progression of the disease and as sad and heart rendering as it is, we just have to cope with it

Take care, Sunbell x