Confusion re: time of day

MaryKT

My MIL is frequently confused about whether it is morning or night. She comes out of her bedroom dressed and ready for the day around noon, and goes to bed around 8pm. Right now it is dark around 5:30pm. I have a great clock in the kitchen with BIG numbers and lettering that shows the day of the week, whether it is morning-afternoon-evening, the time, and the month-day-year. When she asks, I say "read your clock". Is there anything else I can do to help her? Being light out or dark out is no longer a cue she uses independently. Thanks

dayn2nite2

Her brain cannot process the information you want her to see.

The example you gave, where you told her to “read your clock” is the same as this:

Me:  is it morning or night, what time is it?

You:  Jabberwocky.

“Read your clock” means the same.  She looks at the clock and she cannot process what she sees.  Just answer the question, and you will need to answer it A LOT.

Emily 123

At some point visual cues like calenders and clocks stop working.  It sounds like you're there.  She may be able to read the clock, but can't connect how it applies to 'now', and what's supposed to be happening at that time of day.  If you're not monitoring how she takes meds, now's the time to start keeping an eye on the process. 

When my mom got to this point, what helped was sticking to a routine. I wish I had more for you, but it mostly became just reminding her if she asked, and trying to incorporate reminders into conversations if she was looking a little hesitant.  A little further down the road that also kind of segued into me giving her verbal cues about the weather as she went to go get dressed.

sandwichone123

When I was young, about 20, I got a job working the night shift. I worked, and I came home and went to sleep. When I woke up it was twilight and the clock said something like 5:30. I was so disoriented, and I couldn't figure out when it was--morning or evening. So I called my parents' house and my brother answered. I asked what time is it, and he said 5:30, and I said morning or evening, and he kept giving me those "you dummy" answers, but he would never answer the question, morning or evening. Forty years later I still remember that feeling of disorientation and the person that wouldn't answer the question that was clearly asked.