Agitation and upset come into every life, but they are harder for your person with dementia.
Losing time is a frequent confusion. When Burt first presented with symptoms, the topsy-turvyness of his days was distressing to me. It confused him that it was 7 at night and not the morning, but he seemed OK with that.
Recently, he’s once again experienced this confusion. He was as sanguine about it this time.
In fact, when it occurred the other day after a nap, he just about accused me of gaslighting him. He said one of us was crazy. I reminded him about the hack the doorman taught him; Burt thought it was midnight, but our doorman pointed to the sunny day to prove it was noon.
Not enough. He wanted to know if I had read about people like him (the ones with Benny Blue) having trouble knowing the time.
I found a poem, I had written about time that I thought would not prove more distressing. [I have written many poems about the loss of time or memories and my feelings.]
I read A Life, In Sum to him, saying it was dedicated to him. He seemed to find it soothing.
He asked for more evidence that he was not alone with this affliction of time. I texted a friend who also cares for a beloved with dementia. She sent an anecdote to confirm.
Burt’s mood changed instantly for the better.
this is our life 