Comments on: Blog 18: Sense of Time

By: Fay

Fay — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:06:28 +0000

And, the trouble is, the dementia patient believes that the way he thinks is right and, eventually, you give up trying to persuade him otherwise. In the early days, Bill’s brain would slip into that other world and then he’d snap out of it and understand that his thinking had been wrong. But, as time went on, the snapping out became less until the time came when he was almost permanently slipped. That didn’t mean that he couldn’t relate or communicate. But it did mean that you could no longer have a reasonable conversation with him. His thinking was just too skewed.

By: Harold and Nola

Harold and Nola — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:43:03 +0000

And there is a big problem: the not being able to enter another’s ‘world’ or their perception of this world. How often we hear it said: ‘I wish I unsderstood how you feel’, but at the same time are glad, in reality, not to go there. With this dementia thing though, the world view is so out of the normal purview that . . . indeed, word doth fail . . .

By: Fay

Fay — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:15:42 +0000

I suppose, Juanita, that our urge to be on time is in our culture, isn’t it? That is, as opposed to the cultures of native peoples, for example. From the time we’re young, we’re dropped off at Pre-schools and care centres before time so that the parent can make it to work “on time”. Then, like Pavlov’s dogs, we wait for the bell to ring before we eat, or go to the toilet, or take a break, or go home. It’s inbred in us and when the demented brain loses the ability to understand our reasons for using time so rigidly ….. e.g., common courtesy, businesses running smoothly ….. the feeling: “I mustn’t be late!” “I must be on time!” becomes demanding and all consuming.

By: Juanita Laird

Juanita Laird — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 05:54:49 +0000

I, too, am married to a man who hates to be late. He also is getting cranky about this awful weather!
It must have been frustrating for Bill because, if I remember correctly, he liked doing things at certain times and doing them perfectly. Hence when he awoke he’d want to do those jobs or he might be late.

By: Fay

Fay — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:08:46 +0000

It runs in the family, Louise. Even before dementia, Bill never liked to be late …… and, as for holding him up while you got your hair “right”, forget it! As I remember it, too, Bill was mostly first to arrive at work, both when he was working in Vocational Centres and Tech Colleges in PNG and while he was working for TAFE here in Australia. They say that character traits that a person possesses before dementia are often exaggerated as the disease progresses. Maybe that was one of the reasons that loss of “sense of time” caused Bill such torment. His descendants should take note!

By: Louise

Louise — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:13:52 +0000

Sometimes I wish life was more like Bill’s here in relation to time! Imagine a world without any sense of time!? We are all so time poor these days and so very short-term focussed! Always in a rush….such short attention spans….funny that I’m married to a marvelous man who’s so anal about being on time!

By: Fay

Fay — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:59:22 +0000

Yes, David, up here in Brisbane, exactly one year after Bill died, we’ve all got Sundowners. Some call it “Cabin Fever” but it’s the same thing, I assure you. When will this rain let up?

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:56:23 +0000

Rainy days, does anyone really like them? Been housebound here in Sydney for days and don’t think it is any different in Brisbane. I could see how “Sundowner’s Syndrome” might happen even when the time is known.

As an aside, I am also learning to only say certain words after 5:00 pm … words like Gin and Tonic.