I wish the columnist had had space to address two off-topic points:
1. You can't use Socratic reasoning to make your dementia patient back down from bizarre accusations or other unreasonable statements, and you shouldn't be badgering them like that in the first place. I don't *know* that LW's mother is suffering from dementia, but it certainly looks likely. And while I don't know what the correct response to this was, I'm sure that this was the wrong one.
2. If LW's mother needs a caregiver, and is suffering any level of cognitive decline, and *especially* if she's making false accusations, then now is the time to put in a nanny cam, because she is at risk of elder abuse, and theft isn't the least of it. Not that I think that this particular caregiver is actually stealing from her, or is any more likely to harm her in any way than any other caregiver, but because you can't guarantee you'll always have the same aide forevermore, and sooner or later you might get somebody who doesn't care who they hurt, and is sure they'll get away with it because who listens to crazy old people?
3. Everybody else's comments addressing the actual topic at hand make good points, and why gild the lily?
no subject
1. You can't use Socratic reasoning to make your dementia patient back down from bizarre accusations or other unreasonable statements, and you shouldn't be badgering them like that in the first place. I don't *know* that LW's mother is suffering from dementia, but it certainly looks likely. And while I don't know what the correct response to this was, I'm sure that this was the wrong one.
2. If LW's mother needs a caregiver, and is suffering any level of cognitive decline, and *especially* if she's making false accusations, then now is the time to put in a nanny cam, because she is at risk of elder abuse, and theft isn't the least of it. Not that I think that this particular caregiver is actually stealing from her, or is any more likely to harm her in any way than any other caregiver, but because you can't guarantee you'll always have the same aide forevermore, and sooner or later you might get somebody who doesn't care who they hurt, and is sure they'll get away with it because who listens to crazy old people?
3. Everybody else's comments addressing the actual topic at hand make good points, and why gild the lily?