Puzzling Behavior

What is it with dementia and the desire to have some cash? I’ve seen this in other people with dementia besides my sister, but today she was obsessed with acquiring some money. She insisted we must go to the post office so she could get some money. I thought it was about going for a walk since we have been cooped up in the house due to the wet weather. She tried to explain her need to me but her speech became garbled so she said ‘the hell with it, I’ll go there by myself’. I let her go because the post office is a short walk from the house. She came back apparently satisfied but without success. I explained to her that she has a checking account with plenty of money in it and I could give her some cash too, but she was no longer interested. I know she has stashed other cash I have given her somewhere in her room. She can no longer locate her pocketbook on demand but it seems to surface periodically in her room. Can anyone explain this?

Harriet Vaughan

About Harriet Vaughan

I am a Senior Move Manager, working with Senior Citizens and their families when it is time to downsize or just make the home safer and more comfortable for aging in place. I help these people make decisions about what to keep, throw out, donate, or sell. I also offer workshops on "Getting Things Done When You Are Over 60". I write about how to overcome memory lapses and how to use your physical energy well. I have a degree in Home Economics from the University of Maine. I live in Coopers Mills, about 14 miles east of Augusta. I have been married for almost 50 years to my husband, Chuck Vaughan. Our business is called Legacy Years Transition Services.