So I went to visit my Aunt
on the other side of town.Mum's youngest sister, now in an aged care facility,
And she asked me why I had come
And what was my name and phone number
Had I met her mother?
She was watching a Hitler documentary
and wished to continue thus,
So rather than disturb the others
I left having written my name and number.
I thought perhaps of those very few minutes
that is my last sight of the older family.
Comments (34)
that is my last sight of the older family.
My brother does genealogy and reports all the older generation are gone...
My mum wasn't experiencing dementia and it was more likely a PTSD thing, but memory can transport us. A feature of dementia is better recall of earlier memories than more recent, so maybe the documentary about Hitler, about her earlier memories, affected her perception, recall and attention in the moment.
It's natural to draw inference from your aunt not recognising you, but another time she may. Lucidity may come and go, including with changes in medication.
It might be worth visiting again, having a chat with your aunt's carers and/or just allowing yourself some time before speaking with your cousin. Telling your cousin that your aunt didn't recognise you on this occasion and was more interested in watching a documentary is not the same as telling her about how you interpreted that without knowing the whole picture.
We usually assume it to be the inability to recall, however there are other reasons which play a part and may give rise to the phenomenon of lucid moments, or selective recall.
Is it about what information you relay to your cousin before she visits from America, whether your mere presence is distressing and confrontational for your aunt, or whether it's too distressing and confrontational for you to see your aunt?
Or perhaps a mixture of all three that is hard to separate?
Partly the reason we can't remember is because we don't make memories to begin with. Our system gets 'lazy' as we age so we have to consciously do it.
It was just me, speculating, on the unlikelyhood, of an "afterlife", (nothing more). I guess the Royal Commission into Aged Care, really shook the Industry up? Of course that's a good thing. Such people are (generally) treated with more compassion, now; in THIS life;- (since there probably isn't one after)...
Yes, I think that you are right there. Our biological processes are basically the same as the other animals (mammals); and we certainly don't invoke an afterlife for dogs (say) - only for us humans (funnily enough); so, yeah, I would say, that that is a pretty valid observation....
Yes, I think that you are right there. Our biological processes are basically the same as the other animals (mammals); and we certainly don't invoke an afterlife for dogs (say) - only for us humans (funnily enough); so, yeah, I would say, that that is a pretty valid observation....
In England, a dog has been officially measured (by Oxford University) to have an IQ of 102 (making it smarter than 55% of people), so what makes us think that we are so special???
In England, a dog has been officially measured (by Oxford University) to have an IQ of 102 (making it smarter than 55% of people), so what makes us think that we are so special???
(The relevant link, sorry, above link not active)...
(The relevant link, sorry, above link not active)...
Think you're smarter than that dog, there, do you? In your case, I would say probably not!
I say:
"blog master Fargo"
(Whose blog this actually is)
@Ray (baby)
If you can't stand the heat; stay out of the kitchen.
And quit launching (unprovoked) ad hominem attacks, upon innocent Atheists (such as myself!)
Think you're smarter than that dog, there, do you? In your case, I would say probably not!
I say again. Do you think that you are smarter, than that dog? Don't kid yourself, buddy
Sorry about that (but I was provoked!)
At any rate; I hope the last days, of your aunt's existence, are peaceful.....