Today they grabbed up a table knife and pointed it towards my husband just because he picked up a honey mustard container that was theirs. Screaming and yelling loudly, elbowing me. They have dementia.
My mother acted up in a restaurant when she did NOT have dementia. It was the LAST time I took her out to a restaurant. That happened one year before she passed away.
Easy one. I would personally never take this person out in public again. Dementia is beside the point. To have this happening in a public place is much like the public in general having to deal with someone's misbehaving child. I am afraid for me the time for eating out together would be done.
I've posted this here before, but once again, a person with dementia is not unlike a toddler. You don't take toddlers who can't behave out to restaurants, and neither should you take out a dementia patient. It isn't a punishment to them but rather they simply aren't able to handle being overstimulated by being in an unfamiliar place.
As everyone else has said, consider bringing food home instead. It isn't fair to the person with dementia to put them in an unfamiliar situation, nor is it fair for other diners to have to put up with the outbursts and have their dining experience ruined.
I wouldn't take her out again. But if you do and she acts up, have the food packaged up and leave the restaurant right then. I used to do that with my child. She only did it once.
I have been in this situation. I reduced the number of restaurant visits. Also the Alzheimer’s association sent me cards to give to waitpeople. The cards simply said my partner has Alzheimer’s please be patient or something like that. Your situation was threatening and therefore as others have suggested—get take out.
As everyone else has said, consider bringing food home instead. It isn't fair to the person with dementia to put them in an unfamiliar situation, nor is it fair for other diners to have to put up with the outbursts and have their dining experience ruined.
I couldn’t deal with it. I would be saying, ‘Check, please!’ and leave as quickly as possible. I wouldn’t stick around for it to escalate.
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