Mom has dementia and I am noticing that she is blending television stories with life, sometimes making her very anxious. Is this a common experience? Also, I have tried to minimize impact by blocking channels and putting a limit on the rating allowed. She has quite a bit of trouble operating the remote and the pop ups from blocking and restricting channels makes her frustrated. How do you control television while minimizing frustration for our loved ones?
After a time, he lost interest in TV--He can't follow the story lines and doesn't even care about his beloved basketball.
She also gets out of her room more & mingles with other people more so ended up win/win - it wasn't working so I said that I was taking it to be repaired but never brought it back & she has never asked for it either
She later told me, while we were visiting the Assisted Living Place where we eventually put her, that they had poisoned her Iced Tea, and she would NOT drink it! Then, the same day, she attempted to stir her cup of ice cream at the AL place with their stapler, which she stole from their front desk, and insisted on stirring her ice cream with it! She was upset when I took the stapler from her, because she was attempting to use it as a spoon. Within ten minutes of that incident, she told the head of their nursing staff, that she was sorry she couldn't drive back home by herself, as she had not driven her car that day! (thank God we hid her keys!)
Have you ever noticed how many of the tabloids are in the magazine racks alongside the checkout counters? I can't believe how many people read that stuff. Sometimes someone will comment on some movie star's drama, as if it's a subject for discussion. I never respond. There are far too many important and real life issues to worry about some movie's star's body size or other physical attributes, or the drama in his/her life.
I was surprised at the Memory Care they always talk about them watching movies. My parents lost the ability to follow a movie plot long ago. They can watch like wildlife documentaries, old sitcoms like the golden girls, old shows like Johnny Carson... where you don't have to follow much of a plot.
The other day the activity director at the MC said she had a movie for them... Philadelphia.. that is the story of the attorney that was dying of aids and fighting a court battle with his law firm.. omg.. I can't imagine anything more inappropriate. She said she googled movies that people in their age group might enjoy. They might need to do some training on choosing entertainment (movies/tv shows) for people with dementia..
I think the relaxation DVD's that sunnygirl mentioned would be a good option.. with a fireplace or an underwater scene. .. I might look into that and get it for the facility as a Christmas gift.
She accused my dad of ‘battering’ her and it was the other way around. This violence was so out of character for her I asked where did she even get that word and idea? He just pointed at the television...