Alzheimer's Disease Disorientation in Oakbrook, IL
How Alzheimer's and Time-Shifting Are Related
It's family night, and Jack is getting ready to take his 82-year-old mother, Mary, out to dinner. They'll be meeting his sister Carla at Mom's favorite restaurant, and Jack is looking forward to the three of them being together. But as they're leaving the house, something strange happens. Jack and his mom stop to look in the mirror. Glancing at herself, Mom asks who the old lady is in the mirror. Jack chuckles and tells her it's her, thinking she's making a joke. Mom denies it though—she says the lady in the mirror is old and she isn't nearly that age. Jack thought it was amusing at first, but now it seems like Mom really doesn't recognize herself.Does Dementia Change Someone's Perception of Time?
Dinner with Mom and Carla went well after that, but Jack couldn't shake the worry. He's been thinking about Alzheimer's disease and his mother a lot lately and decides to look into it more. He discovers that disorientation to time and place can be a sign of dementia. It's called time-shifting, and it's when a person believes they're living at an earlier time in their life. Time-shifting occurs when short-term memory is damaged, and a person has to go back to earlier memories to make sense of a situation.Watch for Signs of Time Shifting
Now that Jack and Carla know about the disorientation to time and place associated with Alzheimer's disease, they can better recognize the signs of a flare-up. Here's how a person with Alzheimer's or dementia may experience time-shifting:- Asking to speak to their parents
- Planning to pick their children up from school, even though their children have been grown for years
- Not recognizing adult children and other family members
- Using a past role to interpret situations—a person who used to be a teacher might think children at a family gathering are their students
What You Can Do for Someone Experiencing Time-Shifting
The disorientation caused by time-shifting worries Jack and Carla, and they want to help their mother in any way possible. They speak to Mom's doctor about ways to support her. With the assistance of a physician, they come up with these strategies for supporting Mom during a time shift:- Avoiding contradicting her experience, as this may cause unnecessary fear or sadness
- Staying calm and not showing frustration
- Announcing people's names when they enter the same room as Mom—this can avoid confusion with someone from the past
- Removing mirrors
- Keeping older technology and appliances, as long as they still work safely
- Asking about Mom's life history to better understand lapses into the past
Get the Help You Need From BrightStar Care
Helping someone with time-shifting is no easy task, and feeling overwhelmed is common. If you need extra support during this time, don't hesitate to talk to the in-home care professionals at BrightStar Care. We're proud to help families in Oakbrook, IL and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to learn more about how we support people living with Alzheimer's.