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Elderly parents
Original poster

Cruel calls

36 replies

Supersimkin7 · 20/07/2024 16:56

DDP (dearest dementee parents) have taken to ringing nearest and dearest with convincing - really, coherent and plausible - ‘prank’ early morning announcements that one or other of our beloved cousins has died horribly.

Still shaken after this morning’s call.

Two cousins are very sick, so DDPANBU, and the others get a car crash or a cardiac. All untrue.

I can’t even talk to the cruel old couple. But I do. Nicely. Kindly. I give them
treats.

Please say anything cheering. Are other DDP as wicked as this?

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 20/07/2024 18:00

Supersimkin7 · 20/07/2024 17:26

My heart acksherly hurts! They’re astonishingly good with the details, and I speak as an editor.

It’s so horrible I can’t talk to
the family for a cheer-up, cos then they’d have to hear it.

Acksherly? And you're an editor?

SecretSolo · 20/07/2024 17:48

I have known dementia to begin with lies. It can be a part of the disease, but if it's also part of their nature, that's extremely difficult. I wouldn't cut ties, but you need space and support.

gardenmusic · 20/07/2024 17:43

Every time I see my SIL she asks how my mother is doing. She has been dead 20 years. She adored her, and can't quite place why she isn't seeing her.
Do your parents believe what they are telling you?

TeaMistress · 20/07/2024 17:35

Supersimkin7 · 20/07/2024 17:27

They’re both very good liars with form
for faking cancer.

It's OK to say enough is enough and wash your hands of them...what they are doing is so vile...

Original poster
Supersimkin7 · 20/07/2024 17:27

They’re both very good liars with form
for faking cancer.

OP posts:
sentfrmmyiphone · 20/07/2024 17:27

when you say prank calls... do you mean they know exactly why they are ringing you? do they know its not real? do they make an active decision to tell you things or do they think at the time of the call that what they are telling you is true?

Original poster
Supersimkin7 · 20/07/2024 17:26

My heart acksherly hurts! They’re astonishingly good with the details, and I speak as an editor.

It’s so horrible I can’t talk to
the family for a cheer-up, cos then they’d have to hear it.

OP posts:
TeaMistress · 20/07/2024 17:25

That's horrific behaviour even accounting for their dementia...what a cruel and bizarre thing to do

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 20/07/2024 17:23

What a bizarre thing to do. I have never heard of adults with dementia behaving like that although I know of a young lad in foster care who had a transatlantic call supposedly from a hospital telling him his father had been killed in a car crash only for the father to ring him a couple of hours later laughing and asking if he enjoyed the prank. Unbelievably cruel.

Original poster
Supersimkin7 · 20/07/2024 17:22

It gets them attention. They sometimes sort of believe it too.

OP posts:
TheShellBeach · 20/07/2024 16:59

Wow.

I just can't imagine!

Do they actually think this is funny?