No emotion when there should be

[Blossombee]

When we tell my MIL who has Alzheimer's about anything bad that happened to us recently, for example "a broken ankle" she doesn't comment no matter how bad it sounds. If the next minute we repeat what we said but say it happened to someone she knows of - she sits forward staight away and is very worried and asking questions like when did it happen, how bad is it etc. We feel she is more concerned about strangers and friends than her own family. She really does NOT comment at all when it's to do with us. This is so frustrating and upsetting. Is this part of Alzheimer's ? Does this mean she has deteriorated and is now in the next stage of this disease? Or does she do it on purpose to hurt us?

Speaking from experience of looking after those with dementia & different types I would say this is very normal for Alzheimer's I'm afraid. Try not to worry yourself too much about signs of it progressing because every person is so different. I have looked after some people who unfortunately cannot express their feelings at all anymore & are unable to even tell me when they are in pain.

Try stimulating activities like puzzles, crosswords, skittles, colouring etc. You'll find sometimes even simple things like cleaning a window can bring them back to being lucid for a short while so you can have a conversation with them about something serious.

Did you consult a doctor?