A Simple Solution

I've been taking care of my husband, John, who has dementia. John constantly misplaces his wallet and gets upset when he can't find it. I've tried to convince him that he doesn't need to carry a wallet anymore because I'm taking care of the bills and expenses, but this doesn't satisfy him.

One day when John was getting quite agitated about his lost wallet and I couldn't find it anywhere, I came across an old wallet that had belonged to our son. I put a couple of dollars in the wallet and gave it to John -- and he was delighted.

I realized it wasn't that he needed his wallet, but that he needed a wallet. Having money in his pocket meant a lot to John, especially because he'd grown up poor. Now I keep extra wallets on hand for whenever his gets lost, and we're both much happier.

Barbara

See also: Personal Tips -- Dementia