What's with the dark?

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Nojoy3 Asked March 2015

What's with the dark?

Over the last few months I have found my 90yo Mom who has dementia doing a lot of things in the dark. She doesn't turn lights on. For example: she won't turn the bathroom light on when she's brushing her teeth or washing up before bed. Last night she was up (confused) at 1AM getting dressed for the day and sorting her clothes in her dresser, all in a totally dark bedroom. When I tell her we can turn the light on she says "I can see ok." She does have a history of age related vision problems but they are stable and she reads a lot (though comprehension is very limited) and if she sees me reading in light that she doesn't think is adequate she always reminds me to turn a light on. She does have a small night light in her bathroom that is left on.
Have any of you seen this behavior in demented persons? It's not a big issue but it is weird.

Vision & Eye Disease

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score 0 · Answer 1

Dementia is a result of changes that take place in the brain and affects the person’s memory, mood and behaviour. Sometimes the behaviour may be related to these changes taking place in the brain. In other instances, there may be changes occurring in the person’s environment, their health or medication that trigger the behaviour.

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Motion detector light switch sounds like a great idea. I wondered too if Mom just forgets where the light switch is. It is strange behavior isn't it? Thanks

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score 4 · Answer 3

We've had to put a motion detector light switch in the bathroom for the same reason. She has several night lights in her room and bathroom and while that gives her a little light, you'd think she would turn on the overhead lights while toileting and dressing. But no! Sometimes I think she forgets where the switches are is why she doesn't turn them on anymore.

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I'm not an expert, but it sounds dementia related. So many routine things we do, we don't even think about, but with dementia, these things just fall away sometimes.

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score 0 · Answer 5

My parents are also cave dwellers... my gosh, I go into their house and I have to put the lights on to see.

Neither of my parents have dementia so I think a lot has to do with their vision and habits, apparently bright light becomes too bright if one has macular degeneration of the eyes.... and the habit of pulling down the shades so that the furniture and rugs don't get faded by the sun.

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What's with the dark?

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