The possibility of having dementia when I'm older terrifies me. I think what I find most unsettling is when you can see that moment where they realize that it's not real. I remember once when I was a cashier this elderly man, in the middle of the order said something along the lines of "I bet you wish you listened to your parents and stayed in school now". Most people would assume that guy was just a dick but it made no sense... I was a teenager and it was Saturday. I think he thought I was someone else because right after he said it he had this confused look on his face that you don't see often. The other time I saw that look was when I was working housekeeping and a man threatened to call the US coast guard if I didn't let him in what he said was his room. It could be nothing but they seem like early signs that I find very unsettling.

A relative was telling me about one patient she had who thought she owned the retirement home and so was telling the nurse she had paperwork for her to fill out. All she had on the table was newspapers though so at one point she realized it and told the nurse they could do it later.