"Did We Go For A Ride?"

When she was in the hospital last week, mom would get confused and wouldn't know where she was. Several times she asked if she was at the Grand Union — a supermarket here in the Northeast where I used to work. The whole chain of stores went out of business back in the 1980's. At dinner time, she thought she was in a restaurant. Or, if she was hungry, she asked if we'd placed our order yet.

This lack of environmental recognition extends home, too. The most prominent episodes are when people (other than my brother) stop by and visit. After they have left, she always thinks we've gone somewhere to see them. Telling her that they came here makes no sense because she's sure we went for a ride in the car somewhere. She just shakes her head in confusion.