Goodbye Glasses

ESkayP · September 2

I went to visit my mother today. The staff told me she had hidden her glasses. I don't know if she hid them on purpose or if she just misplaced them. I was concerned at first because my mother has worn glasses all her life. I looked everywhere. The staff said they had done the same and would check her trash each day before disposing of it. I've just accepted it. It's weird the things I'm learning to let go of. She always looked funny to me without glasses, but for some reason, today, she just looked natural. She wasn't squinting to try to focus. She wasn't bumping into things, furniture surfing, or reaching in front of her. She got along just fine without them. She's comfortable and well-cared for. Maybe having glasses doesn't matter anymore. Could it be an indicator of further progression of the disease? Does the brain change enough to alter their vision?

JJ401 · September 2

Glasses disappear in the best of facilities. My mom (elderly non dementia) went to the hairdresser at her facility and returned to her room wearing someone else’s glasses. When I visited her later that day, she said she couldn’t see and needed new glasses. Never found out whose glasses she had and hers never turned up.

If you replace them I suggest getting a copy of her prescription and looking at the online sites. They often run specials and you can order them very reasonably. I’ve bought replacement glasses online successfully.

Anonymousjpl123 · September 2

Agree with JJ re prescriptions! Also, I have to say my mom is hard of hearing and lost her hearing aids for the 3rd time and just stopped wearing them. It’s so hard.

I think it is part of the progression. Maybe being able to hear or see better is not worth the stress of keeping track of the glasses?

The lack of concern about her glasses - which she relied on - doesn’t 100% surprise me. But I agree it’s hard to say whether it is part of her becoming less aware of things overall, in which case it kind of makes sense. Maybe too she’s relying on her other instincts and familiar enough with her surroundings.

harshedbuzz · September 2

@ESkayP

This is a very common thing in dementia. "Disregarding glasses,…" is even included in Stage 6 symptoms on the DBAT.

DBAT (7).pdf

By this stage of the disease, visual processing is typically quite impaired as well and the glasses might not be providing any benefit for her.

HB

ESkayP · September 2

@harshedbuzz You're right! I guess I didn't see the glasses part the last time I checked stages. I was probably looking for something specific and disregarded the things I hadn't witnessed at that point. As odd as this disease is, I find it fascinating that so many of these behaviors are recurring enough on a case-by-case basis to be predictable. It's only the amount of time in each stage that seems to vary from person to person.

CaliforniaGirl-1 · September 2

My LO just doesn't bother with her glasses anymore. She can still read but she can't process what the words mean.

Goodbye Glasses

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