Dreams and Alzheimer’s disease

Istiqlál (Independence), 5 Asmá’ (Names), 169 BE – Friday, August 24, 2012 about 1:30 PM Pacific Time

Last night, Mom had an easy night. She slept through the night without a bad dream or waking up crying. Wednesday night, she woke up crying about 8:30 PM and it took the rest of the night to get her to sleep. I gave her the pill for agitation, but it takes it about thirty minutes or more for it to work and calm her down.

While I was waiting for the pill to work, I sit next to her and read prayers. Prayers will help calm her as well, but Wednesday night she just did not want to do anything except cry and talk about her parents. Mom wanted to know where they were.

Mom’s parents, my grandparents, have been dead a long time. My grandparents’ gravesite is in Blackwell, Oklahoma. I cannot tell Mom they are dead and buried because she would not believe me. Telling her where their graves are located would only make her more upset, so I tell her they are traveling or living in a senior care village somewhere in Oklahoma. It helps, sometimes.

I hope Mom has a better weekend, but I never know how she is going to sleep until the next morning. Sometimes she will sleep through the night without a bad dream. Sometimes she has pleasant dreams. Whether or not the dream is bad or pleasant Mom does not realize she is dreaming. This is how it is when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.