Another Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s blog this morning and I found myself lingering over two earlier posts, both of which are enormously helpful to caregivers’ relations.
They deal with the different kinds of memory what is affected how.
One was on procedural memory (brushing teeth, finding “your” chair) which remains intact for a very long time.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/memory-and-dementia/MY02533
The other was on emotional memory and how emotions linger long after the cause is forgotten and thus “blow ups” are triggered.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/emotional-memory/MY02540
I figure that’s why it is so important to paste a smile on your face and be calm and non-argumentative, no matter what you really think – the not-so-“patient” has no recall of what events ACTUALLY triggered their emotions.
I just realised that has become my new morning discipline — some of us meditate, I practise smiling.
db
CaringCV 