Is this a later stage?

Comrade

Sue was diagnosed 3 years ago and yes, it is a strange trip.

What in the world is going on? She is now questioning familiar objects such as computer screens, sauté pans and more. She doesn't know what they are or if they are a threat.

Any experiences with this?

White Crane

Comrade, my DH has started doing this also only his confusion is mostly about food.  A couple of night ago, I asked if he wanted a sandwich.  He looked at me blankly and said, "What's a sandwich?"  It's hard, I know.  And it's heartbreaking to watch.  Sending hugs.

Comrade

Thank you for writing and yes, it is terrible to watch. Lately, she looks at the screen and becomes confused and concerned about the characters in a movie or oddly, the icons at the bottom of the screen which pause, play or stop a movie.

I would be lucky if she would "eat a sandwich", since her desire for food is diminished.

Ed1937

Comrade, my wife frequently does not know the names of objects, and I thought it was a problem with speech. But there are times when she is looking for our dog, Gracie, and when someone points to her, she'll say "That's not Gracie". Not sure what that's all about because several minutes later, she'll call the dog by name. She never sees things as a threat, though.

Jo C.

For many, this seems to be part of the disease process.    To better understand the nuances of all phases of dementia, I suggest reading the well respected writing that can be found free of charge online. I would put the link here, except every time I do, it hyperextends the page way out of line . . .

Look for the pdf version of; "Understanding The Dementia Experience," by Jennifer Ghent-Fuller; dementia specialist.   It explains not only the changes, but the "why" of the changes.  It is invaluable and also good for sending to other family and friends who would benefit our Loved Ones if they understood more.

J.

billS

Here's a link to the above mentioned article, looks ike a great read:

http://www.dementiacarestrategies.com/12_pt_Understanding_the_Dementia_Experience.pdf

DrinaJGB

Temporal lobe involvement.More specifically Wernicke's area.

   My DH suffered brain damage from a rare and deadly virus that severely affected his temporal lobes . He had difficulty naming objects of any kind for a long time and still will struggle with that at times but will eventually find the correct word. When the lesions in his brain started to form scar tissue he started to improve slowly Now 12 years later he is suspected to have mixed dementia.

I suspect the disease has now affected the area of the temporal lobes of her brain that can cause this confusion. Dementia is progressive and will invade different parts of the brain over time.

Comrade

Thank you.

Pat6177

Even before my DH was diagnosed, we had a similar episode. I happened to have dinner rolls (somewhat unusual) and had put his on a small plate next to his dinner plate. He picked it up and said “what’s this?”  He then immediately said “oh never mind, I’ll just watch and see what you do with yours”. And I realized just how much he had been covering up. This has progressed over time. So in my DH’s case, it doesn’t indicate stage though the current instances seem worse as time goes on.