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My father is 96 lives alone and does not want to move out of his ground floor flat.
This afternoon I called him to make sure he had eaten and he was just getting ready for bed at 4:30 in the afternoon because he thought he had gone to bed late. I have bought him a calender clock with large numbers and writing on but he does not look at it. I get him to look outside of the window to explain it is still light and that it was 4:30 in the afternoon.


Thanks Rebecca

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Yes, it seems common that they lose time, and they can not use logic to deduce whether it is day or night. You would think having the sun shining in and the hustle and bustle would tell their brains "day", and dark windows, the nightlight on and the lack of activity around them would mean "night", but that part of the brain seems to go fairly early. If he doesn't need supervision yet he soon will, you need to start the conversation.
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I don't think there is a solution to this for an elder living alone. FF and I have had the same experience with the memory clock. I got one for my Dad about a year ago and he just loved it. But now it's just another fixture in the room and it doesn't occur to him to look at it. So he's always asking my mom what time and day it is.
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Rececca, I noticed my Dad is starting to do the same thing. The other day my Dad said he woke up at the wee hours in the morning but it was day light outside, sounds more like my Dad read the clock wrong, reading the minute hand for the hour hand.

I got my Dad a "day clock" which just has one hand which points to the day, easy to read, and my Dad had been relying on it. But now I think he forgets to look.

I also need to remind my Dad to eat... for my Dad it was always my Mom who would cook the meals and call him to dinner up until she passed at 98 years old. Thus Dad will sit in his recliner and wait for a call... [sigh]. Wish he was cross trained to be able to at least get himself a bowl of cereal on the days that his Caregivers are not there in the mornings. The facility has supper in the dining room and Dad usually remembers to go there, otherwise the facility will call his room to tell him dinner is ready.
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