Thank you guys for responding. Reading your messages has helped a lot and has also made me see thngs that I knew but don't think I wanted to actually admit to myself or anyone else.
I am the primary care giver for my soon to be 97 year old Mother. Other than the dementia/alzhimer's ( depending on the dr you talk with )she is in above average health. She can still get around without any type of assistance, dress herself and do simple chores like make her bed, unload the dishwasher and fold cloths. For this, I thank God every day.
She has good days where she is aware of what is going on around her and bad days where she is very confused. Until tonight when I read one of the post, I don't think I actually wanted to admit to myself that she also has days where she is a nice person and days where she is an extremely mean person. Not the Mother that raised me.
She also has developed some very odds habbits. She no longer wants to go outside of the house even to sit on the pourch and get sunshine and fresh air. She only wants to eat sweets and cereal ( dr said at her age don't worry about it ) doesn't want to use a plate, had rather eat off a napkin, misplaces things and thinks someone took them and hoards rolls of toilet paper.
I have never been around someone with this illness. I do not know what to expect. I live in a small town about 1 hour from the city. Although help is available there, it is not easy to go into the city because Mom gets so upset if I am out of pocket. What I need to know is: Is her behavior normal for someone with dementia/alheimer's.
I also feel bad because I see her life passing by and I do not know what I can do to improve it's quality. Is there anything and do you think she knows life is passing her by?
Thank you guys for listening. I feel better already after having expressed by feeling to someone who is not directly involved in this situation.
Betty