Recently we witnessed in person that my father-in-law literally stopped talking for a short while on a Sunday afternoon 2 week ago. It is the first time he didn't say our names or recognize us in all these years. He just went through the routine for tolieting in late afternoon 3pm. Then he took a nap as he was very tired. He only said he was very tired before he took the nap after the toileting. After he got up at 4:30pm, the caregiver had to use the wheelchair to transport him to the activity room and dining table. Throughout this, he said nothing to us. He could smile at us and was conscious. I can tell that he stopped talking on purpose and his lips were closed tightly at the dining table. He is not using wheelchair regularly yet.

Note that he stopped walking in May and has a hard time to use his walker and he gets up/sits down very slowly with difficulty. Thus he is really quite paralyzed when he goes through the toileting. He has been given a new antipsychotic drug so he is not as combative when it comes to toileting.

The nurse said it is not the side effect of the new drug. It is late afternoon sundowning and he also hates toileting since May.

How does a person with Alzheimer's stop talking? I heard that it may be withdrawal? He is OK talking the next day. It was just a rare occurrence.

He was quite happy at lunch this past Sunday noon and asked a few questions.

I noticed that he talks less this year since Feb. He used to talk more last year.

Thanks,
NC