I care for a dementia patient a few times a week and she won't always cooperate with me as she thinks I'm taking her husband away from her.
I know you can't reason with dementia patients but is there any thing I can do or say that would help her feel better about me? I love her and respect her and it hurts to see her act like this.
As I'm seeing as I age, insecurity is present more readily than when I was young and strong. Vulnerability to loss of her husband when she needs him might be involved.
Can you get her husband involved in her care so they're spending more time together?
My Mom was the same with caregivers. How dare another woman make dinner for my Dad [and Mom], Mom would dump the food into the trash. Back I thought Mom was just jealous without realizing that it could have been dementia starting up. The caregivers were let go, and my parents needed to work things out on their own.
For your situation, it is time to bring out the "therapeutic fibs". Come up with something you feel your patient would accept. You may have to try different phases before the patient will feel better.