My mom has now moved in with us as she can't live alone any longer. Probably mid stage dementia. Her narcissistic personality disorder has always been challenging, but with dementia it's like throwing gasoline on a fire. Is anyone else dealing with this?
I have tried to get her involved with people and activities but she does not like people and has given up the only thing she enjoyed, crocheting due to bad eyesight. I take her out shopping and to the park and she has a health aid that takes her out to eat and keeps her company during the day. I tell myself every day this is the best I can do and not to feel guilty, that she is lucky to have me in her life.
She's got numerous health problems, including failing eyesight. She constantly offers me a flashlight to see things that SHE can't see, but that look perfectly normal to us. We even had to replace every overhead light in the house with a 150w bulb! (It's like a doctor's office in every room!)
Sometimes it's just exhausting. I'll make sure she has a snack, her phone and something on tv, then pull a fast retreat to my part of the house (a downstairs garage-turned-apartment) for a few hours to write or read or just play video games for a while.
She doesn't get along well with... well most anyone, so we haven't been able to get her to agree to "adult daycare" or classes or any of that, but she still loves TV, and she has a computer of her own that she can still use, so she does get enjoyment from that (and facebook. She's found a lot of old highschool friends on there and sends messages on occasion)
Perhaps that would work in your case as well? If you have the ability, and she would like it, set her up on facebook and find some of her old friends? Or if she doesn't like that, maybe she'd like to play games? There are thousands of simple, bright, colourful games that are just point and click!
I have signed her up for other activities and classes, but if she's not the best in the class she doesn't like it She doesn't notice anyone else's needs or point of view. Sometimes it's funny, and it helps to laugh! Example: our hairdresser always has a bowl of candy out. My sister, who has always been slim and in the past watched her weight, eats every candy in the bowl without comment or apology. My hairdresser (a friend by now) prepares for our visit by limiting the number of expensive chocolates in the bowl.