Our mailbox relocated itself...

We were in our driveway the other day and my DH told me to open the garage door. I explained i didnt have the remote and he insisted i did. I told him to show me where he saw it. He pointed to the truck key fob and kept insisting the fob also opened the garage. door. First time he had misidentified an object but he has also started forgetting things we talked about 5 min earlier. He is obviously progressing.

This is very common and confusing for those of us seeing it and dealing with it. My husband would appear to be doing quite well and then something like you described would happen. But ever so slowly for us, those little things became more pronounced and showed itself on a regular basis. The tv remote controls were a big obstacle. Sometimes he had absolutely no problem navigating around the different apps. Now he can’t figure out anything with remote controls and the tv is nothing but a box of confusion.

….using her cell phone calculator to try to make a call….asking "how do I call my daughter on this?" when she's looking at text messages…..trying to write an email on her iPad when she's on her web browser….technology (cell phones, iPads, laptops, atm machines, self-serve check-outs at stores) seems to be a daily cognition tester/ stressor. Despite the daily frustration, I suspect it's probably still better for my DW to keep trying to use these devices than to give up and stare at the wall all day…

PS: I've programmed her iPhone to be in "assistive access" mode ("grandma mode" with only four apps showing on a single Home Screen) but she still struggles with it.

It helps tp know there are others dealing with similar things and this is "normal" for this stage of the disease. I try to have my husband do what he can, while he still can. His physical health is declining at a faster rate than his cognitive health. Static standing, walking more than a short ways is tough due to leg weakness but he still gets to the bathroom and makes his sandwich everyday. I wonder how long he will still have his mobility....Anybody in a similar situation?

Regarding the mail and Just to add our experience to the conversation. My DW with very EO dementia turned 50 this past week. For years she had worked from home and therefore was responsible for sending and retrieving our mail. Approximately 4 years ago she began leaving our mail in strange places (the garden shed being the most common). I would find mail not sent or mail received days and even weeks after the events. This was the source of several fights and frustrating conversations; and I now understand she was in stages 3 & 4 while this was occurring. Fast forward to today and DW is likely entering stage 6. She still loves to get the mail but no longer remembers it regularly and I never let her take the out going mail any longer. PS DW hasn't read or opened a peace of mail in over 2 years.

Side note: Because of posts by both you and Bill 2001, I have begun regular updates on DW's behaviors matching them to the DBAT assessment tool. I do this written exercise about every 3-4 months at this point. Not only does it help me with doctors and family/friends who want updates but I quickly realized without doing these updates I was living in partial denial. Scaffolding our life together without seeing to what extent.

My mailbox hasn't moved either, but mail taken from it might be found anywhere when DW gets it. Today I was told yes, there was mail but when I asked what was there she fished around in her multiple jacket pockets took out the PO box key and proudly handed it to me saying the box was empty. We went out for lunch at a restaurant that might be the closest immitation of a CT, NY, NJ diner im MA. It was more than she could handle. I ordered their American chop suey, she dittoed my order. (She NEVER would order it out, but she was looking for an easy way out of deciding). "It sounded good to me" she said when I asked her about it. It's the second time we've been there and she also dittoed my order the first time. I've read through most of the posts in this discussion and probably have experienced most. It becomes soooo frustrating!