What's That Beeping?

At 7:30, I decided to go up to Mom's apartment and set out her evening pills. I could tell I had awakened her from deep sleep in her recliner when she gave me a startled look and said, "So did you give her a ride home?" I wasn't sure what she was talking about. "Oh, is she still here?" She glanced around the room and looked to see if someone was sitting at her kitchen table. I waited to let her get fully awake. She looked back at me waiting for my answer. But I continued my silence. "For goodness' sake. Of course she went home." Our neighbor, Sandy, visits Mom many weekday afternoons and today she had spent three hours and painted a picture with Mom. We agreed Sandy had walked home a few hours ago and Mom realized she had been sleeping when I came in.

"So, did you eat your supper? What did you have?" I asked. She always eats at 5:00 whether she is hungry or not, but I didn't see any evidence that she had eaten.

"Uh huh." Ignoring my question, she said, "Did you see my painting? It's over there." She pointed to where it was propped up against the end table near her bed. I moved closer to see it and heard something beeping. I stopped and looked around, but it stopped. I thought it must have been coming from an ad on the television. We discussed her picture for a few moments and I proceeded to close her curtains against the cold dark outside and get her pills. She returned to her recliner. Then I heard the beeping again. I looked at the microwave and realized it was making the noise. I found her dinner still sitting there and cooled to room temperature.

I pulled the container full of beans and hot dogs, held it up for her to see, and said, "Looks like you forgot to eat your supper, Mom."

"Well, guess I did. I put it in the microwave and sat down to wait for it. Guess I fell asleep!"

I reheated it. As she ate it, she said, "I would have gone to bed thinking I'd had my supper!"

I was reminded that someone told me recently that sometimes people with Alzheimer's forget to eat or forgot they ate and eat again!