What time is it?

Larry has started to lose track of time. He doesn’t believe the clock next to his bed or me when I tell him what time it is. The last two mornings he woke me at 3:30 telling me it was 8:30. At 11 this morning we went up to take naps. Shortly into his nap he was calling me at ask what time it was. It was 11:20. Told him that. “No, it isn’t” was his reply. He was insisting it was 8 o’clock at night. Pointed out the sun was up full. Still didn’t believe me. He’s like a dog with a bone with this time issue. So very like his mother. She was never wrong either. I humored him and I think he’s settled into his nap. I hope this is a passing thing.

[Kevin_1]

Hi Jeff

I can't think of a better way to deal with than what you are doing.

Really just replying to say that you are being sorely tried and, as always, doing it all so well.

Best to you

Kevin

[Hidden in reply to Kevin_1]

Thank you Kevin. This disease is so weird. I have no idea if I’m dealing with disorientation, delusion or both.

[Kevin_1 in reply to Hidden]

Thank goodness it's only those!

For one terrible moment I thought it might be stubbornness as well.

Take care of yourself Jeff... You're one in a million.

[Hidden in reply to Kevin_1]

That made me laugh.

Stubbornness! The very idea!

[Helen119 in reply to Hidden]

Made me laugh as well, Colin gets like this as well and it’s with time, he loves emmerdale on the telly and at lunch time he’s telling me to turn the telly over ready, but when I say it’s not time yet, he then argues it is, so now I just say ok and turn it over then 5 mins later he’s saying I turned the telly over too early as it’s not on yet.

Similar sort of thing

Love and hugs xxx

[Hidden in reply to Helen119]

I thought someone out there would have a similar story. Thanks for sharing.

[enjoysalud]

Jeff166, my Jeff had an obsession with time. When he would go to bed he would take a small flashlight with him and his watch (with a LARGE face). If the battery of the flashlight needed to be replaced he would IMMEDIATELY ring his bell to have it changed. Towards the end it was no longer important....knowing the time.

[Hidden in reply to enjoysalud]

This morning things are better. This is one more thing to be ready for when it occurs again.

[Nanny857]

W is always clock watching. Wanting to know the exact time I will be back when I nip out to the shop in our village for his newspaper or some groceries or if he comes shopping with me but stays in the car. Boy do I get told off if I'm late. Then he wakes me up at all hours of the night/early morning asking what time it is, I ask why, he just wants to know. Agggh. PSP has a lot to answer for. Hope you sleep better tonight, and me too. Lots of love nanny857x

[Hidden in reply to Nanny857]

I have gotten my 8 hours and feel better.

[raincitygirl]

Sympathies Jeff....My hubby did the same thing. Didn't get day and night mixed up, but did seem to lose ability to interpret numerals, and would react to the bedside clock by getting up at odd hours. We never got to see the neurologist after this started happening, so don't know if it's a typical symptom, but it would't surprise me!

Anne G.

[Hidden in reply to raincitygirl]

Not sure if he can see the clock well enough to know the time. The replies I’m getting makes me think it isn’t that unusual.

[Tippyleaf]

Dear Jeff

We have similar challenges. If I go to take a shower Or pop out I write down the time I will be back on a white board next to his bed/chair and say I will be back at a certain time. Sadly his concept of time is quite fluid now and often I haven’t even got in the shower before he presses his bell to check if I have finished. He gets more agitated if he doesn’t know where I am so find it better to tell him and write it down .

If we have a hosp appt or someone is coming over in the morning he too will try to get up at ‘3-4 or “ridiculous o’clock’ as I think of it!!

The whiteboard helps! I think it is a combination of impulsivity and short term memory loss that causes the problem. or simply the PSP challenges!!

Deep breaths needed on this one I find!!

Sending lots of love

Tippy

[Hidden in reply to Tippyleaf]

Days he has something to do are worse. He is obsessive compulsive.

[AJK2001]

Oh this sounds so like my Mum, she can't see well enough to read a clock now which was a real frustration for her, so she now has a talking clock which must always be within reach but she does not always believe it and will keep pressing it thinking it will change! She also gets obsessed that there are two of things and wants the other one, so can I get the other talking clock as this one doesn't tell the right time, can I swap the control for her riser recliner because the "other one" is easier to use. Then we have her age, she is convinced she is 83, when she is 85. It's very odd as she can do the maths of 1932 to 2018 and she knows how old I am and how old she was when she had me & add the two together, then she just shakes her head and says it must be wrong as she's only 83!

[Hidden in reply to AJK2001]

It’s the nonbelief that got me. There’s nowhere to go with that. I humored him and moved on. There was no “winning” that argument.

A friend on mine’s mother insisted she was 49 for decades. That is until her eldest daughter told her mother that she, the daughter, was 50.

[Marie_14]

Jeff

This is definitely a PSP thing!! G nearly drove me mad waking me when I had just gone asleep to ask what time it was. I had to tell him if he kept doing it I would be too tired to look after him. Thank goodness it worked. It might not have done of course.

So as others have said it is a definite problem which nobody tells you about? I think I thought it was just happening to us. So thanks for asking the question. Sorry I can't give you a solution apart from what actually worked for me.

Marie x

[Hidden in reply to Marie_14]

I know I can post the most bizarre questions on here and get replies from people who have been through it.

I thought this issue might have been settled but he informed me this morning he has to buy a new alarm clock. When we go up for a nap after lunch I will ask him to look at the clock in the living room and see if he will agree that the time is correct then show him his clock in his bedroom to see if he will acknowledge it is also correct.

[Greenkerrycounty]

Jeff, I didn’t read all of the responses, so maybe someone had this idea. Online I found a big blue button thing, powered by batteries that you can set to tell the time, day and date when you press it. It is a voice announcement. It also alerts me if I’m in another room and my husband needs me. If anyone is interested, I’ll gladly provide the details

[Hidden in reply to Greenkerrycounty]

If you have a website link I would appreciate it if you would forward it. Knowing Larry he probably won’t be able to figure out how to use it or where he put it.

[Greenkerrycounty]

I bought it on Amazon, but there is a website too....

cirbic.com. Described as “extra large, blue talking button”, or something like that. It was the first one shown on their page when I opened it. My only complaint is that the battery life is short—-at least at first. Maybe it was the brand I was using. Also, setting it after changing batteries is a little tedious. Amazon has lots of reviews, and questions. A little pricey too, but I really like it. My husband’s voice is gone too, although he tries to talk. When we first bought “the button”, I would tell visitors ahead of time to bring up what time it was, and my husband would press the button for them. One of the very few things that would make him smile. Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to Greenkerrycounty]

Thanks