Mom (91) has dementia and does this fake crying like a child. Anyone else experience this?

My mom isn't crying, but she is calling my name continually during certain periods of the day, sometimes even when I am in the room with her or holding her hand. I think it is one of those verbal tics that often come with dementia, but the root cause seems to be anxiety. She has told me she is lonely or afraid. Our nurse is recommending trazodone or remeron as ativan is not helping at all. Now we just have to convince the doctor to give it a try. As maddening as this kind of behavior is for us I think it must be much worse for them. Perhaps your mom is also experiencing anxiety?

Don't assume the emotion is "fake" just because you don't see tears. Dementia doesn't cause people to forget their emotions, just the opposite - they, along with most other behaviours, become more noticeable and pronounced. The problem is that we often can't get the person to express what is causing the emotional response.

Its hard to really know what she understands. She puts her face in her hands or covers up her face with a blanket sbd makes thd sounds if crying, when i daid there aren't any tears (which there weren't) she acted as if she were drying her eyes. This goes on all day and evening 7days a week. I work full time and have a care taker duting the day. Neither of us can figure out what has changed. She takes sleeping pill but that doesn't seem to be helping anymore. I'm at the end of my rope, 3 am and working all day for 5 weeks now is driving me crazy. I have a call into the dr but im just wondering if anyone has had the crying issue.

UTI's CAN MESS YOU UP. Check this first.

Can she comprehend what you are saying? Does she still understand? Do you have help?

Okay, she has dementia, this can cause it. She is 91 years old, is there anyting else going on with her? UTI? chemical balance ok? Maybe she is just going through something? Can you take her for walks? Drive? Serequel? Some mild sleep aid to get her through the night? Walk be for going to bed? 3 AM? Her clock is off..... Talk with her doctor..I am a broken record, HOSPICE?

This sounds so familiar. My mom has dementia too, and I've noticed that her emotions are always just seething below the surface, ready to erupt. There were tears because the Christmas dining room table was beautiful, which would have never even occurred to mom before her symptoms started. No one else could see that those weren't "sad" tears. Then there are the crying fits that just make no sense at all. It's very overwhelming, because mom was never a "cryer" and concealed her emotions most of her life. And mom makes a lot of things up, too, and crys over them, as well. So I understand what you are going through.