Stage 5 and not aware

Karl38

My wife has ALZ , solid Stage 5 showing some Stage 6 symptoms. I have told her she has Alzheimer's, she then looks puzzled and forgets it 5 minutes later. She is unaware of her condition and appears to think she leads a normal life. She is getting more difficult to manage and has most of the nasty symptoms you hear about. Are others having this same experience?

Iris L.

Being unaware of having dementia is common, this is called anosognosia. Do not try to convince her that she has dementia. Instead, learn the work-arounds from the members and from YouTube videos and The 36 Hour Day.

Iris

harshedbuzz

@Karl38

That's classic anosognosia. Your wife's reality is that she's living the life she did years ago with the same cognition, skills and participation level she could sustain then. Any attempt to disavow her of that reality is pointless at best and cruel at its worst.

Behavior is communication. If you're seeing new and challenging symptoms, it might be time to talk to a specialist about medication to dial back the anxiety and agitation that can trigger them.

HB

H1235

I have attached a link about anosognosia. It’s a very difficult symptom to deal with. You might see some improvement if you change your approach. No judgement, it’s hard to do. The number one rule here with dementia is never try to reason with a person with dementia. Here are a few ideas. If it doesn’t matter then just agree with her. It’s ok if she thinks Elvis is still alive. Another idea is to change the subject and divert her attention. I know it seems wrong, but if it gives her some peace, tell her a fib. Apologize for things even if you did nothing wrong. If you tell her about an appointment and she forgets and gets mad at you, just tell her how sorry you are. Just do what needs to be done without consulting her. Mom recently needed a new phone. I just found one I think is best for her. I did not include her in the decision. When she gets mad I did it without her I will just apologize. Being told about her deficients is probably going to cause her stress, anxiety and maybe anger. It’s best to let her live in her world. Even with a change in your approach you may find a change in medicine is necessary.

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