My mother who is 96 has slowly been getting dementia. Other than being extremely negative and not a pleasure to be around, I have noticed she has been making up new memories. I know these are new because these memories include me or things I know about.
Many revolve around food. Like how we ate certain food or how she cooked it. Things she never ever made and so on. I know it isn't anything major, but I have just noticed more of these little memories that never happened come up.
And now in her old age she has anxiety which she never did before. Winter is the worst. She is no longer pleasant and always plays the victim. I have a whole new respect for caregivers since I am now having to care for her.
I never want to put my kids in this position.
It will make your life so much easier to just go along with whatever she says and it will most certainly keep the peace which of course is priceless.
My mom was always making up the most amazing, fabulous stories. I would look at her and just go 'whaaaaat'?
She was watching an ancient re-run of Bonanza and said, matter of factly--"Oh, did you know Dick (her brother who has been deceased for 5 years) had Michael Landon over to the house for a BBQ and a swim?" (Ok, yes, my uncle DID know Michael Landon, he was in the entertainment industry)...but since both men have been gone for some time--obviously this was a HUGE story. Mom was adamant that it had happened 'last week'. And said that they were just the dearest of friends. Well, this may or may not have been true in the 60's but was not likely a current event. I couldn't talk her out of it, so I just rolled with it.
All her stories had her coming out the 'belle of the ball' kind of thing. I know she doesn't mean it and where in her brain these stories are percolating...
I don't think it's unusual and I don't think there's anything to do to change it. Just roll with it. Mom was far more fun to talk to when she was 'in a mood' than normally.
I wonder what I will be like when I am more 'crazy' than I am now. And if my kids will be talking about ME on a board like this?
Hope everyone set their scale back 10 pounds this weekend.
What may be happening is she sees something and it gets filed in her brain.
With the screwed up filing system of dementia that visual "memory" may seem like a "real memory".
My thought on this is do not let it stress you or do not argue with her. An argument with someone with dementia is an argument that you will never "win". It will do noting but upset her and you.
So...go with the flow.
laugh
redirect
or if you want to see where this goes..ask her more questions. Sometimes there may be a nugget of fact mixed with the "memory salad".
Thank you!