Yesterday was one of my most stressful and tiring days. Started out with Betty asking if I had ever touched anything when I went into her room. I told her that I have only gone in her room once when looking for her small purple container but that she knew about that. I didn't think anymore about it until hubby had gone down to the treadmill and Betty stormed down the stairs with this angry face and angry tone in her voice as she said, "I really want to know why you took all my vitamins and pills from my room!" I was taken aback at the tone and the body language but I remained calm as I asked which pills she was talking about. The only ones here are in her daily pill container so I wanted to be clear. She started to go on and on about her vitamin and pill bottles being on the desk and that now they are gone.
I calmly told her that all of her pills are at her nieces house in the drawer where she left them after we filled her pill box. She looked at me as though I just landed in a space ship and informed me that she had brought all of the bottles with her. I stayed calm and told her that they were in the drawer when we left and that maybe she could call Paula and check and then she started to back off a bit. Finally she sat down on the couch and started to talk about the pill box and filling it and how she does it at home. Then she started with saying that at home, (in FL) she never had any problems with the pill she took or the vitamins. I reminded her that now there are three pills and that is why we want her to use the daily pill box with the AM and PM slots.
She talked a bit about her feelings and needing to fill the pill box by herself. I tried to remind her that I had wanted her to do it and she told me to do it. She finally got up and came over to me and started to cry and apologize. I told her that love means never having to say you are sorry and that everything will be ok.
This was one of my first experiences with an actual accusation and it is just so hard. I pray that I will have the patience, love and gentleness to always know that this is AD not Betty!!
Mary, I remember when my mother started with accusations and paranoia - her neurologist started her on Namenda and the delusions stopped within a week. Unfortunatey I've heard this doesn't always work. Thanks for joining my blog, Chrissys Moments. Feel free to comment.
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