Strange ability that SIL still has despite dementia

Gallmeiers

First of all, haven’t posted since we put SIL in AL. It was very difficult at first. These message boards were so helpful. Less than a month after going into AL, SIL got COVID, was in ICU for two weeks, skilled nursing care for 3 weeks, and then finally we had to put her into memory care. She lost so much physical and mental capacity from COVID. She can no longer walk or care for any of her needs. She does still recognize us and loves our visits. It has been 5 months since she went into memory care. In the last 2 weeks, she seems to have recovered some ability. She can bear a little weight when we transfer her from bed to wheelchair, but certainly can’t stand up by herself. Additionally, she has started working crossword puzzles again!! I am flabbergasted! She doesn’t know what day or time it is. She has no idea she is in memory care. She has zero short term memory. But she can work a NYT crossword puzzle. How is this possible?

harshedbuzz

Gallmeiers wrote:

In the last 2 weeks, she seems to have recovered some ability. She can bear a little weight when we transfer her from bed to wheelchair, but certainly can’t stand up by herself. Additionally, she has started working crossword puzzles again!! I am flabbergasted! She doesn’t know what day or time it is. She has no idea she is in memory care. She has zero short term memory. But she can work a NYT crossword puzzle. How is this possible?

A couple thoughts--

1. It is not uncommon for a PWD to improve a bit when placed in a care setting that meets their needs. A dementia trained staff, dementia-informed activities, improved nutrition and structure sometimes results in a PWD thriving in a way they didn't at home.

2. Many elders-- especially PWD-- develop hospital-induced psychosis and will seem much more impaired than they did before admission. Sometimes this downtick in abilities is temporary and the individual will return to something more like their previous baseline once home (in this case her MCF).

3. Ah, the crossword. Firstly, is she doing them correctly? My dear auntie did the NYT crossword daily for years. When we cleaned out her home I found a 12' closet filled top to bottom with grocery bags filled with cut out NYT puzzles plus a stash under her bed when she ran out of room. Early in MCI she was able to continue doing Monday through Wednesday pretty well. As time went on, she was completing the puzzles but the answers weren't correct. Later, she cut the puzzles out, started them and quit. The newest bags had just cut out grids without clues. 

That said, it's fascinating what skills are preserved. If she's done the puzzle for years, she may be able to complete it from sheer muscle memory as they tend to be very formulaic. Mondays I can usually complete using only the cross clues and filling with usual fodder on the downs to wrap it up. My dad was very confused in the last year of his life, but 6 months before he died he did a test with serial subtraction by 7s faster than I could and then went downstairs to the valet stand and got in some random little old lady's car. 

HB

Gallmeiers

Harshedbuzz, thank you for this information.  Very helpful. We have wondered if she was finally getting settled and secure and familiar with her MC facility and thus improving in small ways. With respect to crossword puzzles, yes, she has correctly completed some. Others she will do 6 or 8 words and then quit. And yes, she cuts it out everyday, whether she works it or not. Thanks again.