Caught Hubby trying to listen in on phone... is this another behavior of dementia?

To your questions...he can be gossipy, he is getting sneaky ,and has in the past accused me of such things and more that you mentioned...delusions is what they called them... he gets angry easily, so they say "keep things light" so we, the caregiver oblige. I am tired of being accused of things that are not happening.

This has happened once, at all?

I really wouldn't worry about it. Your husband's wanting to listen in on your conversation is one possibility. There are dozens of others. As your husband seemed muddled about it, my guess would be - did you ring her or did she ring you? - that he heard the phone ring but didn't make the connection between that and picking up until after a considerable delay, then found the conversation was going on, then was embarrassed and panicked about it.

Sinister paranoia about who you're talking to would be quite a long way down on the list, though.

Does your hubby still use the phone? Is it possible he picked up the receiver to make a call and just listened when he heard voices?

I now my mother,who does not have dementia, would be thrilled to pick up a phone and hear a call on another extension. She would gleefully listen in.

Is your hubby by nature a gossipy person? Or sneaky? Does he have reason to believe, rightly or wrongly, that you and your DD are conspiring to place him in a home or "force" him to accept help?