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My dad is 74 and has Parkinson/Dementia. I have noticed that he acts child like a lot. He admits one day that he has really bad short term memory but then the next day he says he is completely healthy. He acts like he is a teenager or younger child at times.

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Our mom does the same thing. This is why dementia is such a roller coaster. Sometimes she is right on target and energetic. Other times tired and confused. She is able to 'showtime' for the doctor and will 'sundown' the same evening. The childlike behavior will increase with time, enjoy the laughter when it visits.
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Pstiegman is correct. The dementia can cause child like behavior especially when sundowning occurs. This time passes. Just hang in there and understand that the best thing with dementia is there will be another mood coming shortly. After strange behavior, usually normal behavior occurs. That is my case though.
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Behavior and cognition levels vary up and down in all dementias. Parkinson's Disease Dementia is one of the Lewy Body Dementias and a hallmark of that kind of dementia is a high degree of fluctuations. In fact, that is one of the defining criteria. It is not unusual that he might be pretty realistic about his limitations one day, and in total denial of problems the next day. He could be very obviously impaired in the morning, and by afternoon even you are wondering if dementia was really the right diagnosis because he seems so "normal."

Lewy Body Dementia is often called the "roller coaster disease." I swear that my husband went through a period when I called it the pogo stick disease -- he was constantly changing from "up" to "down," with no transition in between.

Especially if you are his primary caregiver, I think that joining a support group for caregivers of persons with PDD or Lewy Body would be very helpful for you. (It sure was for me!)
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