How do you get someone to accept memory loss?
Motherinla asked...
My 68 mother in-law cannot remember the way home if she leaves by herself,cannot remember to take medicine, forgets if she receives her ssi checks in the mail, repeats herself several times when holding a conversation, ask the same question 3-5 times. Cannot remember what bills she has paid or where she places items. Forgets to eat. Sleeps most of the time. Refuses to admit that she needs help.
Expert Answer
Ladislav Volicer, M.D., Ph.D., is recognized as an international expert on advanced dementia care. He is a courtesy full professor at the School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, and visiting professor at the Third Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Twenty-five years ago, he established one of the first dementia special care units.
Sometime it is useful to demonstrate to her how impaired she is. I would expect that she has also impairment of executive function that can be measured by asking her to draw a clock with all numbers and put clock hands at 10 min after 1. So she needs to accept her general impairment not just memory loss.