Trying to go with the situation at times, is easier on everyone

My mother suffered with dementia and there were times at night she would demand to go shopping and would refuse to go back to bed. I put her in a wheelchair and instructed her care staff to do the same, the moment she got outside and saw that it was dark she would change her mind and be happy to go back to bed.

I’m not sure if there are professionals who would agree with my methods but they seemed to work for us. I think at times trying to go with the situation is easier on everyone, when it is not possible to have a store of props or distractions or just blatant lies, it can be kinder to push the boundaries of reality.

Mums dementia was a real rollercoaster ride; lots of tears and sleepless nights but also there was a lot of laughter. I think I learnt more about my mother’s inner feelings from her childhood than I had known in the previous 50 years! This in itself was a revelation.