Yes, I noticed that about my dad and I've told my kids: any weird thing/ habit you have is magnified with dementia. Now that he's in memory care, they seem to be better at dealing with some of this, however.
Dementia seems to magnify a person's personality in many ways.
My mom was a good person with a heart of gold, but she was also sarcastic so that's what was magnified. Her caregivers found her very entertaining, but she could be pretty crunchy when they bugged her too much about showers and getting dressed.
There was a woman in her MC who was the sweetest thing in the world. She was absolutely adorable and sweet-tempered, but she, too, got peeved when the caregivers wanted her to do things she didn't.
You get a certain amount of the grumpiness no matter what their general temperament.
Actually, my mother was very nice and sweet to the staff at her Memory Care; they all loved the heck out of her, as it turns out. It was ME she was snarky & mean to, always had been.
Many of the residents at mom's MC were pleasant, too. When I worked at a Memory Care AL a couple of years ago, we had some residents who were quite pleasant, as a rule. Some not so much. As in life, you'll find nice people and miserable ones, same with dementia.
My Mom was. She was loved by staff at her AL and staff at her NH. Not saying she didn't have a paranoid moment but on the whole easy to care for. I was the problem. I could not deal with the unpredictability of the desease. I like things 1, 2, 3. Doesn't happen with Dementia. You don't know what they are likely to do from one minute to the next. The toileting I hated and showers came in second. Senior caring for a Senior.
I asked Moms neurologist if Moms personality would change he said no.
If they were nice before Dementia, they will be nice after If they were nasty before Dementia, they will be nasty after If they were nice before Dementia but nasty after...they were nasty before just able to cover it up.
My GF was doing a clients hair who suffered from Dementia. My GF said "Dottie your birthday is coming up" Dottie said "yes it is but I don't remember when. But I will remember tomorrow and give u a call with the date" She was also a client of the VNA I worked for and the sweetest lady. So was my DHs Aunt who passed last month.
The neuro's answer confirms something I've thought for a long time. That the dementia strips away all pretense and what is left is the "core" person. That said, until now I've not seen anyone else come out and say it. So thanks for the insight!
There were several in my mom's memory care facility who were so sweet all the time. And my mom is the sweetest person ever about 60-75% of the time - but she's either one extreme or the other. (We are working hard on the "other!")
yes, i have met many elderly people with dementia who are very sweet. (parents of multiple friends; i've known the parents for years; they were sweet people before dementia, too) (nice to everyone: the caregivers, family, friends).
No anger ever. She is on very few drugs.
Sweetness.
She was often anxious and overwrought, until we got her on an effective combo of anti-depressants. But never mean or hurtful.
My mom was a good person with a heart of gold, but she was also sarcastic so that's what was magnified. Her caregivers found her very entertaining, but she could be pretty crunchy when they bugged her too much about showers and getting dressed.
There was a woman in her MC who was the sweetest thing in the world. She was absolutely adorable and sweet-tempered, but she, too, got peeved when the caregivers wanted her to do things she didn't.
You get a certain amount of the grumpiness no matter what their general temperament.
Many of the residents at mom's MC were pleasant, too. When I worked at a Memory Care AL a couple of years ago, we had some residents who were quite pleasant, as a rule. Some not so much. As in life, you'll find nice people and miserable ones, same with dementia.
I asked Moms neurologist if Moms personality would change he said no.
If they were nice before Dementia, they will be nice after
If they were nasty before Dementia, they will be nasty after
If they were nice before Dementia but nasty after...they were nasty
before just able to cover it up.
My GF was doing a clients hair who suffered from Dementia. My GF said "Dottie your birthday is coming up" Dottie said "yes it is but I don't remember when. But I will remember tomorrow and give u a call with the date" She was also a client of the VNA I worked for and the sweetest lady. So was my DHs Aunt who passed last month.