North Stand at Fratton Park watching Pompey stuff the Saints.
Memories of people and places
Forgetting other people’s names and faces is another common problem associated with dementia. These memories are often stored in long-term memory, but when a person experiences problems retrieving these memories, even family members can feel like strangers. This effect on memory can be particularly significant in the workplace, leading to the person with dementia forgetting her boss or important clients.
Forgetting places increases the chance that someone with dementia will easily get lost, even in the most familiar surroundings, and find it very hard to follow the directions of any new route you try to tell her.
Memories of self
When short-term memory malfunctions, it’s believed to result in people with dementia losing their sense of self. This mostly affects the present self, and such people may have an intact sense of who they were when they were younger, thanks to their long-term memory.
People with dementia who constantly follow their partners or carers around and keep repeating the same questions may be seeking reassurance and protection from that person to make up for this loss of their own sense of self.
Getting lost and wandering
When someone’s memory for places has ceased to function as it used to, it’s very common for her to get lost, even when travelling on extremely familiar routes. In addition, people with dementia tend to wander, which adds to the likelihood that they’ll get lost.
Wandering is rarely an aimless activity and would actually be better described as walking with purpose. It is not often obvious to carers why people with dementia sometimes wander, but some suggested reasons include
✔ Continuing with a habit: People who enjoy walking as either their main means of transport or as a hobby are very likely to continue doing it.
✔ Relieving boredom: People with dementia often don’t have a lot to do, especially as the condition progresses and they withdraw from work and socialising. Going for a walk relieves this boredom and provides a sense of purpose.
✔ Using up energy: People who were normally quite active and enjoyed exercise may feel restless if they’re unable to continue to go out. Going for a walk is a very simple solution.
✔ Being confused: People with dementia may have an idea they have to be somewhere to do something, but as soon as they’ve headed off, they become lost and keep wandering, trying to identify familiar landmarks. Sometimes, when confused about time, people with dementia get up in the night thinking it’s morning, get dressed and go out. And in severe dementia, they may simply be off to look for someone from their past.
✔ Relieving pain: People with arthritis stiffen up if they’re inactive for long periods, which makes their joints extremely painful. Going for a walk loosens things up and temporarily relieves this pain.
✔ Searching: The person with dementia may be off looking for a particular place or person. It may be a former home, or even the house she grew up in. She may be searching for old friends, family members or even long-dead parents.
Progressive lack of judgement
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