Over the past few days. Jim has been wandering through the house more than usual.

He used to get up in the morning and then doze at the table while he read, and then re-read the newspaper. Then he’d nap in front of the TV most of the afternoon.

Now, he’s restless. He stands in the window of our living room and then wanders into the spare bedroom to stare out that window. Or he messes around in his walk in closet. Not looking for anything, just looking. He’s also started pacing around suppertime. I wonder if this is the beginning of sundowners, where dementia patients become even more restless as day turns into night.

It’s good exercise for him but the underlying cause of his wandering bothers me. I don’t know if this is just part of the natural progression or if his subconscious is plaguing him with thoughts of selling our house and moving.

He doesn’t always remember there is a move coming, sometimes he dwells on my mother’s health (which is one of the reason’s for the move, to be closer to her.) Sometime he talks about wanting to bring her here for a visit, or going to visit her. Then other times, he brings up the move out of the blue. worrying about how much work there is to do to pack up and sell the house.

For the 3rd time this week, he wants to go out to the mall to walk around and have lunch. Likely in response to me saying that we will have more to do once we move. My family will instantly multiply our social circle of just him and I. I think he’s trying to make ‘here’ be more desirable for me.

I’m pretty sure the idea of moving is triggering his underlying anxiety and he’s pacing because of it.

We can’t move until spring, which means this is going to be a long winter.