My mother in law gets "stuck" doing things. Like stirring her coffee, she will continuously do so for 10 minutes straight. My husband will say mom six times and she ignores him or does not hear him (I am not sure if it is one or the other). There are many times that she will be doing something that when asked to stop or if we try to redirect her she ignores us and continues whatever it is she is doing. I do not want to yell at her to get her attention but I don't know what else to do.
Hopefully she will regain at least some of the lost function. It is early yet, I think, Good luck! Let us know how you make out.
My MIL has recently been dxed with dementia, don't really know what stage, but this combined with her super anxious natural personality plus just being a mean person has left us with and angry, forgetful tactless old woman who hates EVERYBODY.
A screaming match with her (she did all the screaming) one month ago today had me telling her I would no longer be able to help her in any way, shape or form. I walked out of her house and left DH sitting there, alone and that's what she's getting from me for now on. Sound harsh? Yes, I could say, but she has run me into the ground for 44 years and I am DONE. I'm SO TIRED of dealing with her, and even when she was 'OK' she was no gem.
Just be kind to your MIL and don't expect her to be the same person she once was. Hopefully, her personality will remain sweet natured, if she was before. That I could handle.
Don't yell at her. That's just going to make YOU crazy and she's not going to register the 'effect' you are trying to achieve.
My step mother's dementia has just been confirmed as Front Temporal, she just sits there, stares out into space, and has OCD, your MIL might be in the same boat.