Bowling along

Failure to recognize objects is one aspect of dementia - we notice it a little with Okaasan...although maybe her checking questions (Is this my plate? Is this mine?) are her way of masking her confusion.

Sometimes she will ask us if the cell phone is the TV remote, or if the small notebook is her purse.

Recently we've realized soup bowls are, conveniently, being confused.

On the right is the badly scratched, plastic soup bowl we've been using for too many years. Last year Okaasan finally said that she didn't want to eat out of that because scratched plastic was bad for food and body. She may have a point there!!!

So, we started using the central, ceramic bowl. Much better.

But. It isn't really big enough - and  increasingly we watch everytime Okaasan grasps it with her fingers and tips it towards her mouth - we are nervously waiting for the inevitable of hot liquid/old lady's lap accident.

So. DS suggested using the cat coffee cup, which has a handle. Easier to hold, big enough for miso soup with cubes of tofu, daikon etc

I wasn't so sure: Will Okaasan accept this CUP as something to drink soup out of? Really? And it has a childish, cat picture on it.

Recently we've made the switch. When we serve her soup, we put it in the cup. She uses it happily, no comments at all. Much safer.

I am surprised. I expected some comment - but she seems to accept that this container with miso soup in it IS the container for her miso soup. I think most Japanese people of her generation would be strongly against using a coffee cup for traditional miso soup, because every kitchen thing has its use. But she has made the transition smoothly.

DS says it is a useful example of her object confusion - that she doesn't really "see" coffee cup. Just soup. Lucky really.

Not sure if she will use this cup if we leave the instant soup packs in it on the table for her lunchtime. Will she look around the kitchen for the soup bowl? Watch this space.