I washed my husband's sheets and put them right back on his bed. When he went to bed he accused me of using different sheets. Wanted to know why I did this.
Another episode is he accuses me of changing his pillows. He woke up with a sore neck and said it was because I changed his pillows. I calmly tried to explain to him that I thought he had the pillows layered incorrectly. He has a hard pillow on top and a soft pillow on the bottom. This led to an argument from him saying that he wasn't crazy that the pillows are different and what did I do? He went to all the bedrooms and looked for "his pillows". Finally he brought me the hard one and said it wasn't his pillow. I don't know if I should play along or see if there is medication to help him. He also says he was fat and now his shoes are to loose. I took him for new ones and nothing was fitting right. He came home and pulled out a pair, took the insole out and now they fit. My husband was difficult before the dementia. It seems now he's impossible. He has problems with watching TV because he claims everything is a rerun when in fact it isn't.
We saw a neurologist who said he has dementia. My husband says he does not have it, that the 2 mini strokes he had is causing him problems. He did have the mini strokes and neither one of use knew this was happening. He functions pretty well with the exception of these delusions. Does anyone have any insight?
The delusions ARE probably from the strokes.
But the bad part is that the strokes can cause dementia.
“Dementia. a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning.” Sound about right?
As Amijoy said, no use in trying to convince him of anything. Not because he is being stubborn but because his brain has been injured by the strokes which are caused by disease.
You do need to speak to his doctor to see if he can adjust his meds to help but be aware that his condition will get progressively worse.
And no. Don’t tell him this or try to get him to understand. He can’t do a thing about it.
Do go online and watch Teepa Snow videos on how to work with dementia patients. It will really help you learn how to redirect him in diffucult moments.
Are you caring for your brother and your husband alone? Please go to Area Agency on Aging and ask them to visit for assessments to see what services your family might be eligible for.
Come here and share your concerns and learn as much as you can about his condition. We will try to help.