Though Daddy's dementia has still not been officially diagnosed, it's clear that something is wrong.
He repeats the same story over and over as if he didn't just relay it ten minutes ago. He introduced me to my sister as if we never met. I can tell him something and within minutes he doesn't remember what I said.
I think he KNOWS something is off, but doesn't want to admit it. When I offer to give him reminders he blows up "I'M NOT CRAZY.... I'M NOT AN INVALID...."
...but he kinda is. He's had several incontinence accidents but refuses to wear something to help with it. He refuses to bathe on a regular basis....he's been legally blind since I was born, so the only thing he DOES admit is that he can't see, but now he can't hear, and he refuses to get his hearing checked.
He's threatening not to cooperate with the cognitive testing...
Is it denial.... stubborness....or the disease
My Dad has incontinence accidents and had been refusing to wear anything, finally my Mom [97] had enough of cleaning up the messes... so she handed Dad the cleaning supplies, he had to clean up his own messes.... recently Dad bought a package of Depends :)
I think a lot of it pride, they don't want to admit they are aging as they don't want to be looked upon as being as old as their parents once were. Dad knows he is aging but he still tries to do things he use to do with ease when he was 65, but he can't any more. I know my Mom is in denial. She still gives Dad a honey-do list not realizing Dad just can't do those things any more.