A few days later, Anna knocks on her Mom's door. "Hi Mom, are you ready to go? We don't want to be late." Mom replies, "Late to what dear?" Anna, a little confused says, "For Mary's baby shower. I called you last night and you said that you would be ready by 10." Embarrassed, Anna's Mom laughs, "Oops! Silly me. I am busy these days, you know."
Two weeks later Anna receives a phone call from her Mom, "Anna, where are you? You're supposed to be here to help me clean the house. " "Mom, that is next Wednesday, but I can come over now if you would like me to." Anna's Mom says, "Ok, if it isn't any trouble." Anna walks into her Mom house and notices a bit of a clutter. She walks into the kitchen to get a glass of water to drink and sees that the stove top is on. "Mom, were you cooking?" "No darling, why do you ask?"
Anna takes her Mom to the physician and is given the diagnosis- Alzheimer's. Anna is shocked. "No, this is my Mom. She is fine."
It is natural for caregivers to deny that their loved one has Alzheimer's. We see our parents and other loved ones as they were 20 years earlier even though in our hearts we know that there have been noticeable changes. We convince ourselves to believe that nothing has changed: Mom can still walk, Dad can still play golf, Grandma can remember my name, spouse can still drive. As caregivers, it is important for us to know the difference between true reality and false reality. True reality being what is happening; false reality being what we want to believe is happening.
