When I was in the hospital in December, my room mate was an old lady who could say three things: "Yes, No, Because". The nurses kept her in a chair by her bed which had an attached tray, like a high chair, which kept her trapped. The old lady would yell at anyone who came by, "Let me out of prison!" She had no idea the year, or where she was, and would constantly hurt herself trying to escape.
Her whole family came and visited her one day. Daughter, son-in-law, and various others. For two hours they all talked, while the old lady randomly yelled out "Yes", "No", or "Because", and incredibly the family always managed to make sense of her ranting. They just assumed she was responding to one of their comments.
Of course, it is possible they knew the extent of her dementia and were just trying to save her, or the other relatives, embarrassment. Or they were just trying to be positive. In any case, it makes me hope that euthanasia is legal by the time I'm in that condition.
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