You cannot 'reverse' a situation such as this where a person with dementia doesn't recognize their spouse. Here is an article from Alzheimers.org on the subject:
Tips on Coping Acknowledge the Loss: As with other grieving processes, it's okay, and often necessary, to let yourself grieve this decline in your loved one. You don't have to be stoic, even if you've read up on what to expect and you know the change is coming.
Remind Him: If you sense he doesn't recall your name or who you are, simply remind him once by saying, "We haven't seen each other in a while. I'm your nephew Sam."
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due: Remind yourself that this is due to the disease process and not a choice by your loved one. It's the Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, or other types of dementia that should take the credit/responsibility for the loss of ability in your loved one. When he remembers your sister's name and not yours, try not to take it personally, even if it hurts your feelings. Blame the disease.
Respond Gently: When your loved one doesn't remember you, your goal is to decrease his anxiety or worries, not increase them by pointing out that you've been married to him for 50 years and asking why he doesn't love you anymore. Instead, you can try to change the subject or sing a favorite song with him.
Validation Therapy: If your wife continually refers to you as her father, ask her to tell you about her dad, what she misses about him, what he looked like, what he did as a job, and what she loved about him. Give her the opportunity to share her memories of him, rather than try to force the issue and make her identify and remember you.
Photos and Videos: Show your loved one older pictures of family and friends to reminisce together. It's likely that she will remember more from long ago and this exercise may sometimes trigger her to recall more recent items as well.
Seek Medical Help: If your loved one's inability to recognize or remember others is making her (NOT you) feel anxious and frequently distressed, if her paranoia is affecting her eating or sleeping, or if she is fearful of you to the point of becoming dangerous to herself or others around her, call her physician. There may be appropriate medications or other treatments that can address the cause of these behaviors and decrease her distress. While a physician won't be able to reverse her dementia, medical treatment can improve the quality of life for both of you.
Wishing you the best of luck with a difficult situation.
Monday was our 41st anniversary. My husband woke up and didn't know my name. A little bit later he asked if I am Maple but didn't believe we ate married. Is it heartbreaking -yes. Do I try to convince him I am his wife - no. Sometimes I'm the "upstairs girl" , sometimes I'm " the lady in the kitchen ", occasionally he thinks I'm his high school girlfriend. Whatever role he thinks I am, I know his brain is broken and he's not doing it to be mean or hateful. My good friend said to be glad he doesn't think I'm either or his former wives, and I am grateful for that! LOL. At any rate, he tells me everyday that his glad I'm there and he thanks me for taking care of him. I have accepted his reality and I'm okay with it.
Exactly - wherever they are in their current "reality" is where they are. We can't bring them forward again, as all those memories are gone. We just have to "go with the flow", so long as it doesn't impact anyone's safety.
You have handled this very well and are very wise! Hopefully others will take something positive away from your comment.
Dementia is brain death. when parts are gone...they are gone. My Mom currently is in the process of forgetting who I am. some times she remembers other times she doesn't. But, I'm the nice lady who takes care of her and she is safe. heartbreaking but think of how terrifying it is for them.
There is no reversing the damage; brain is broken and can't be fixed. It's so sad but it is what it is.
Everyone around the person with dementia needs to change their perspective. It's so sad when they no longer recognize their LOs and very hurtful, but it is the disease and not the person. Don't correct them; don't argue with them; don't try and make them see what their brain can no longer conceive.
Stay as calm as you can - it's hard because frustration is hard to avoid. Learn techniques of the noncommittal answer; moving to other subjects; occasionally visiting their world.
If the situation become too difficult placement in a facility may be necessary - don't leave it till the last moment when you're desperate; take the time now to get all your ducks lined up - financials and what not and look at resources available.
Because this is caused by brain damage there is no way to reverse it. My husband has FTD and when I ask him who I am he says " You are that chick I live with" . He also forgets my name, I tell him who I am and my name but he forgets again. I just respond with love and kindness and tell him it is OK , I will remember for him. It is a heartbreaking journey. My heart goes out to you.
Sometimes when I ask my husband that question, he says things like, "You're the nice lady who gives me rides." If you can joke about it and laugh, it will make it easier on both of you. ((Hugs))
My husband no longer knows my name. Our sons and their families live close by and visit often. He does not know them anymore. One night he got up to go to the bathroom. When he came back to bed, I asked him if he was okay. He answered, "You're so nice, are you married?" If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny. We often look at our wedding albums and he doesn't recognize the younger version of himself. Life has become a little lonely, my best friend and partner is pretty much gone. Just be thankful for the good days. They are different, but can still be good.
Your husband's comment about being married would bring laughter to those in a dementia support group. For you his comment was probably devastating, but for others to hear your specific story, brings closeness to the group in that they, too, have stories to share that can show both sadness and humor. Thanks for sharing.
The best way to reduce friction is to not argue. Often my Husband would start following someone in the store and I would ask where he was going and he would say he was looking for his wife. I would ask him if it would be OK if I walked with him until we found her. I would walk with him and we would walk out and he would head to the car and get in when unlocked the door and helped him in. No more "looking for his wife" I often kidded that when he was following a younger woman with long dark hair in his mind that was me in my 20's, when he was following someone heavier set, with shorter hair that was me in my 50's. When I got my hair cut real short and stopped coloring it I was afraid he would start following gray haired old men! Just go with the reality they are in at the moment. If you are out and your spouse does not want to get into the car because they do not recognize you tell them to get in and you will drive around the block looking. In general they will look at you as a "safe" person and getting them to get into the car should not be a problem. There will come a time when going out will be more of a safety issue than them not recognizing you. At home it is easy to deal with. Sometimes just leaving the room and coming back in will trigger recognition. BUT At some point the recognition will be gone and you will be a "safe person" that they can trust to care for them. The brain my not recognize but the heart will.
My grandfather's dementia got to the point that he did not recognize my grandmother as his spouse. He kept asking her to marry him since she was "the nice lady who helps me." Maybe referring to the spouse as a "really good friend who helps" may be a good way to deal with this.
Like lealonnie said, there is no reversing this situation. You just have to be able to make the best of it. In most instances when dealing with someone with Alzheimer's/dementia, it's usually best to just go along with whatever the person is saying as it will make life a whole lot easier for you, and trying to argue the point is a no win situation. Will it be hard for you? Of course. It's heartbreaking when a spouse doesn't always know who you are. You cannot take it personally. Your spouses brain in broken and it will never get better. The best thing you can now do is to educate yourself on Alzheimer's/dementia, so you can better understand what your spouse is going through. Teepa Snow has some great videos on YouTube, and the book The 36 Hour Day is a great resource as well. I will also recommend finding a caregiver support group in your area as well, as that was a life saver for me when I was caring for my husband. You can Google to see if there are any in your area. Most are still meeting on Zoom right now, but hopefully in the near future, groups will once again be meeting in person. I wish you the very best as you travel this journey with your spouse.
https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/memory-loss-confusion
Here is another article with useful tips to help you 'jog' your spouse's memory:
https://www.dementiauk.org/get-support/understanding-changes-in-behaviour/things-to-try-when-someone-with-dementia-stops-recognising-you/
Tips on Coping
Acknowledge the Loss: As with other grieving processes, it's okay, and often necessary, to let yourself grieve this decline in your loved one. You don't have to be stoic, even if you've read up on what to expect and you know the change is coming.
Remind Him: If you sense he doesn't recall your name or who you are, simply remind him once by saying, "We haven't seen each other in a while. I'm your nephew Sam."
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due: Remind yourself that this is due to the disease process and not a choice by your loved one. It's the Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, or other types of dementia that should take the credit/responsibility for the loss of ability in your loved one. When he remembers your sister's name and not yours, try not to take it personally, even if it hurts your feelings. Blame the disease.
Respond Gently: When your loved one doesn't remember you, your goal is to decrease his anxiety or worries, not increase them by pointing out that you've been married to him for 50 years and asking why he doesn't love you anymore. Instead, you can try to change the subject or sing a favorite song with him.
Validation Therapy: If your wife continually refers to you as her father, ask her to tell you about her dad, what she misses about him, what he looked like, what he did as a job, and what she loved about him. Give her the opportunity to share her memories of him, rather than try to force the issue and make her identify and remember you.
Photos and Videos: Show your loved one older pictures of family and friends to reminisce together. It's likely that she will remember more from long ago and this exercise may sometimes trigger her to recall more recent items as well.
Seek Medical Help: If your loved one's inability to recognize or remember others is making her (NOT you) feel anxious and frequently distressed, if her paranoia is affecting her eating or sleeping, or if she is fearful of you to the point of becoming dangerous to herself or others around her, call her physician. There may be appropriate medications or other treatments that can address the cause of these behaviors and decrease her distress. While a physician won't be able to reverse her dementia, medical treatment can improve the quality of life for both of you.
Wishing you the best of luck with a difficult situation.
At any rate, he tells me everyday that his glad I'm there and he thanks me for taking care of him.
I have accepted his reality and I'm okay with it.
You have handled this very well and are very wise! Hopefully others will take something positive away from your comment.
when parts are gone...they are gone.
My Mom currently is in the process of forgetting who I am.
some times she remembers other times she doesn't. But, I'm the nice
lady who takes care of her and she is safe.
heartbreaking but think of how terrifying it is for them.
Everyone around the person with dementia needs to change their perspective. It's so sad when they no longer recognize their LOs and very hurtful, but it is the disease and not the person. Don't correct them; don't argue with them; don't try and make them see what their brain can no longer conceive.
Stay as calm as you can - it's hard because frustration is hard to avoid. Learn techniques of the noncommittal answer; moving to other subjects; occasionally visiting their world.
If the situation become too difficult placement in a facility may be necessary - don't leave it till the last moment when you're desperate; take the time now to get all your ducks lined up - financials and what not and look at resources available.
Best of luck to all of you.
Often my Husband would start following someone in the store and I would ask where he was going and he would say he was looking for his wife. I would ask him if it would be OK if I walked with him until we found her. I would walk with him and we would walk out and he would head to the car and get in when unlocked the door and helped him in. No more "looking for his wife"
I often kidded that when he was following a younger woman with long dark hair in his mind that was me in my 20's, when he was following someone heavier set, with shorter hair that was me in my 50's. When I got my hair cut real short and stopped coloring it I was afraid he would start following gray haired old men!
Just go with the reality they are in at the moment.
If you are out and your spouse does not want to get into the car because they do not recognize you tell them to get in and you will drive around the block looking.
In general they will look at you as a "safe" person and getting them to get into the car should not be a problem.
There will come a time when going out will be more of a safety issue than them not recognizing you. At home it is easy to deal with. Sometimes just leaving the room and coming back in will trigger recognition. BUT At some point the recognition will be gone and you will be a "safe person" that they can trust to care for them. The brain my not recognize but the heart will.
Will it be hard for you? Of course. It's heartbreaking when a spouse doesn't always know who you are. You cannot take it personally. Your spouses brain in broken and it will never get better.
The best thing you can now do is to educate yourself on Alzheimer's/dementia, so you can better understand what your spouse is going through. Teepa Snow has some great videos on YouTube, and the book The 36 Hour Day is a great resource as well.
I will also recommend finding a caregiver support group in your area as well, as that was a life saver for me when I was caring for my husband. You can Google to see if there are any in your area. Most are still meeting on Zoom right now, but hopefully in the near future, groups will once again be meeting in person.
I wish you the very best as you travel this journey with your spouse.
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