Caregivers

“I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Posted by Debbie Pilson in category on July 10, 2012

Sometimes caregivers think their loved one with dementia deliberately tries to annoy them or thinks "if she would just try harder, I'm sure she could remember."  Or "how could he not know that?"  But keep in mind, the dementia has affected their brain in such a way that they truly don't remember.  And they do not know what they're doing many times.  I was so touched when I read the piece below, written by a dear lady who attends a day respite program and has dementia.

My illness is fronto-temporal dementia.

I like to bring flowers to River Landing.

It makes me not know what I'm doing.

It makes me push buttons when I shouldn't.

It makes me also go downstairs in the middle of the night

And use my husband's phone and push redial.

That's what I did.

It was his business phone.

I'm so sorry.

I do things that I'm not supposed to do.

I'm sorry when I do them.

I think I'm obsessed with the restrooms, too.

I think I'm obsessed with toilet paper.

I love everybody tho.

I fell deadheading flowers at the lake,

And scratched myself with briars.