It Is All Relative

There is a new resident on the Alzheimer's unit.  Almost everyone who begins living on an Alzheimer's unit experiences a period of adjustment.  Some people sleep, some cry and others are more aggressive.  Mother screamed and hit and tried to get out.  She picked up furniture and threw it and beat at the doors.  Before long, she became more passive with her aggression.  She threw water on the staff and would refuse to bathe.  It was many months before she adjusted. 

What amazes me, is that residents who have lived on the Alzheimer's unit for a while are so tolerant of the behavior of new residents.  This weekend the new lady on the unit was cussing a blue streak.  She waved her glass around at lunch and screamed, "That's my g-- d--- pillow!  Give it back you s-- o- b------!"  Of course there wasn't a pillow in sight, but she ranted on.  Mother just rolled her eyes along with the other residents who are still cognizant enough to know that the woman was ranting.

Mother and I were walking to her room when they wheeled the new resident out of the dining room.  She was still cussing and threw her glass of water on another resident.  She kept screaming, "  Get out of here you g-- d--- s-- o- b------!  Get out!  I am the king, and you have to do what I say you g-- d--- s-- o- b------!"
 Mother said, "She is cussing everyone out."  I told her yes, but that the lady didn't know what she was doing.

"Well," Mother replied," At least I haven't lost my mind."

It was all I could do not to laugh.  I just hugged Mother and thought to myself, it is all relative.  That's the thing about Alzheimer's, the residents all think it is the other person who is crazy.  But maybe there is a lesson in that for all of us.