Shadowing, so that is what it is called. My dh would go all over the house to make sure I was there. Then when I got a phone call he would pull up a chair and listen in. No motive, just lived at my elbow. Had to make sure I was here. Not any more. Now it is more sundowning. When it is baseball season life is so much easier. He is content. One day watched a game then a couple of hours later watched the rerun thinking it was a new game. We live alone so I have to be careful he is ok when I take a shower or come to computer.

April.. you should tape a few ball games to replay when you need
a break.

Deb - isn't it interesting how we kind of miss the things that at one time drove us batty... because it means another loss ?

New to all of this. Just learned here, about shadowing. We have a small apt and my husband asked where I am going when I leave the room. Didn't realize that it is part of the disease. Doesn't want to go to bed without me, and I am just in the next room.

You will always be new to this disease, because, just when you think you have it down, it changes.

Ginger and April-

Yea, Shadowing is a big deal, I think if they could they would be our Siamese twin. My husband would be RIGHT next to me ALL the time, even standing outside the bathroom door. And being in the same wasn't enough, he had to sit on the couch RIGHT next to me, touching me. It makes sense because they know they need us for survival and realize they have to keep us close but it sure can drive you crazy.

My dear my mother follows me everywhere and sits right in front of me!
Why do they do this?
I can't even go to the bathroom. If I leave the room she starts screaming my name. I can't even go change my close because it is upstairs and she thinks I am leaving her!
If she had her way she would sat on my lap!

It is driven by fear, they are afraid of being left with no one to care for them. Being alone is VERY scary for them.

My mom is in late stage now and has been shadowing me for the last two years. Today while cooking dinner I turned and bumped into her pretty hard. She's always there. At least she doesn't follow me to the toilet! My mom seems to do it just because I'm doing something and she's not and is interested in what is happening. Like a boredom thing but her brain is so gone she can't think to do things unless she sees me. I don't mind the shadow, it's all the questions every 5 seconds that go with it.

When she's not on top of what I'm doing, I start to worry and go looking for her...so I guess I'm shadowing her too?

I too fear when this stops I will know she is worse and it is one more thing she can't do.

Linda,

When she's not on top of what I'm doing, I start to worry and go looking for her...so I guess I'm shadowing her too?

That made me laugh because I know exactly what you mean! On the one hand I am glad he is not right there but then 2 seconds later I wonder, "what's he doing? I better go check."

Isn't this the worst disease you have ever seen? I am61 and dealing with my 84 year old father in his sixth year of this. My mother passed away three 1/2 years ago, so a couple of us "kids" are doing the caretaking, and it has gotten long and hard, but we are so close to him. He is in the moderate stage, and possibly will soon

We have tapes of everything that he will watch...The ANdy Griffith Show is #1, then Leave it to Beaver, The Beverly Hillbillies, All in the Family, and the list goes on. Some he doesn't really enjoy a much. He, too, loves a baseball game....his dad was a major league pitcher for a few years before injuring his arm. We have stacks of those and over 200 jigsaw puzzles (100) pieces. It started out with him doing them himself, then us needing to do the border and he'd fill it in, and now we do the border and sit with him and do one piece at a time, hinting and helping him get each piece in. I swear those puzzles were what kept his mind going for a long, long time.