My mom talks about me like I'm not there. Did I handle it appropriately?
I had a weird experience with my mother today. She has Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, mid- stage. We were having a (relatively) normal discussion when all at once she began talking about me as if she were discussing me with some other person, as if I wasn't there! It was all negative trash-talk, "Amber said blah-blah" and "Amber did thus and so." I made no attempt to re-orient her, not wanting to alarm her or cause a catastrophic reaction. Instead, I kept trying to redirect her to a different topic, which would work momentarily, but she kept returning to the same negative comments to me (about me) as if I wasn't there. We were in the car, just the two of us. Finally, after 10 minutes of going around and around like this, she dropped it. Is this a common dementia behavior? Did I handle it appropriately?
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I wonder who she thought was driving? And of course you are bound to wonder what the heck put her brain on this weird chain of thought. But I wouldn't wonder too long or you'll end up as bat-sh*t crazy as she is.
May God bless you and help you with the strength you need to do the things you need to do. Trust in HIM. I will be praying for you, you are a good daughter.
I used to try to see what time period my Mom was re-living. I finally realized she was in her late teens. Honestly, it made me feel good since that was a very happy time for her. She would ask me (her sister) where her brothers were. I'd tell her they were out playing soccer. She RARELY asked about my Dad --- she hadn't met him yet when she was in her late teens!
The various forms of dementia are really a strange phenomenon. Love her as she loved you and keep up the redirection.
He ordered anti-anxiety meds in the afternoons for her " s u n d o w n e r s ".