I did a search and found lots and lots of threads and discussion about excessive phone calls from the person with dementia, but not so much information about when the phone calls stop. It's late and I'm tired (can't sleep!) so I hope this is somewhat clear.
My mother is 72 and after a crisis and hospitalization in January of this year, went into a care home, what we call assisted living. From day 1, for about the first six weeks, we received lots and lots of phone calls. This was different; when she lived alone, we rarely got calls. It was part of her mind-set "not to be a bother" and she basically never called me; that has been the pattern since I left home.
But when she moved into the CH she had difficulty with the transition and the phone calls started. Lots of them, mostly in the evenings, over and over and over again.
BUT all of a sudden, not quite two weeks ago, the phone calls just stopped. She hasn't called us once. I know she loses our home phone number (what doesn't she lose?) but the staff is good about writing it down for her and every time we've visited, there are at least 2-3 notes with our number, and always one next to the phone. And judging from the phone bills, she still remembers how to call information. So I don't think that is it.
Could she have finally settled, and no longer feels the need to call? (too much to hope for, I fear)
I hate to think this, but could the dementia have progressed to where she can't use the phone? I am fairly sure she no longer uses the answering machine and have been considering removing it.
Could she have settled enough to go back to her pre-hospital mindset of, I don't call?
Or what else could this be?
I would welcome any suggestions or thoughts, especially if perhaps someone has experienced something similar. One of the dementia books I read reported the same thing, her mother called non-stop for about 6 weeks after moving in and then, boom, no more phone calls, so maybe it's common?
I just thought that, as I can't sleep, it couldn't hurt to ask. Thanks for listening!
My mother is 72 and after a crisis and hospitalization in January of this year, went into a care home, what we call assisted living. From day 1, for about the first six weeks, we received lots and lots of phone calls. This was different; when she lived alone, we rarely got calls. It was part of her mind-set "not to be a bother" and she basically never called me; that has been the pattern since I left home.
But when she moved into the CH she had difficulty with the transition and the phone calls started. Lots of them, mostly in the evenings, over and over and over again.
BUT all of a sudden, not quite two weeks ago, the phone calls just stopped. She hasn't called us once. I know she loses our home phone number (what doesn't she lose?) but the staff is good about writing it down for her and every time we've visited, there are at least 2-3 notes with our number, and always one next to the phone. And judging from the phone bills, she still remembers how to call information. So I don't think that is it.
Could she have finally settled, and no longer feels the need to call? (too much to hope for, I fear)
I hate to think this, but could the dementia have progressed to where she can't use the phone? I am fairly sure she no longer uses the answering machine and have been considering removing it.
Could she have settled enough to go back to her pre-hospital mindset of, I don't call?
Or what else could this be?
I would welcome any suggestions or thoughts, especially if perhaps someone has experienced something similar. One of the dementia books I read reported the same thing, her mother called non-stop for about 6 weeks after moving in and then, boom, no more phone calls, so maybe it's common?
I just thought that, as I can't sleep, it couldn't hurt to ask. Thanks for listening!