Refusing to join in

[lizzybean]

Went to our Positive Outlook Programme today. The dementia sufferers were making us lunch today (under supervision) MIL didn't out right object but was very reluctant to join in. After half an hour she came to look for me (with a member of staff) she was concerned that I was OK. Obviously I reassured her that I was fine, reading between the lines I think she wanted to go home as she wasn't happy to be doing these things they were asking her to. 25mins later she was back again (we had a benefits advisor with us) just checking I was OK!!
Off she went again to help set the table, we finished our session then & went outside to wait for our lunch, every 2mins she was out looking for me. She has never been clingy with me before. Is it just a lack of confidence do you think?
After having been so anxious as we left, bearing in mind we had had lunch all together & a chat afterwards, she said how much she'd enjoyed it????

 

[Canadian Joanne]

A lack of confidence with an increasing reliance on the person close to one is part and parcel of the dementia journey, I think. It's certainly seen in a lot of people.

But your MIL did say she enjoyed herself and that's a good start.

 

[lizzybean]

I only think she said she'd enjoyed herself cos with lunch taking so long, she had forgotten the earlier bit that she didn't like!

 

[Izzy]

I've been finding my husband has become much more clingy over the last couple of weeks. He has no infections and nothing much is different in our lives so I think it's just another stage of the disease.

 

[Witzend]

Was it the first time you'd been? Maybe understandable to be ill at ease if so. My mother would have felt very uncomfortable even before AD, but then she was never at ease in new social situations unless she had someone to hide behind, so to speak.

 

[lizzybean]

2nd time. Your right tho, she doesn't like that kind of thing anyway & would always say pre AD - I'll go/do if you are with me. Just forgot that, pre AD seems along time ago!