Just as we embarked on our second week in our new home, Jim’s oldest came to stay with us for a visit.

We’d hoped their stay would help Jim to settle in his new surroundings. For the most part it did.

He stopped asking when we’d  be leaving and usually seems to understand this is our house. But, he is still easy to disorient.

Last night I put new lamps in the living room. I turned them on and then shut off the overhead lights.

Jim watched me do it and then napped for a few minutes in the cozy light. When he woke, he asked me several times if this was where we were going to sleep, even though he was sitting in his usual spot on the couch, with me on the chair and his adult child on his other side. All visual cues were there.

He’s still having hallucinations. He’s had five over the last 4 weeks. I was hoping they’d go away once he relaxed since they started happening just before our move which was high stress for both of us.

He recognized the first one as not being real and so far seems to question the validity of the others because they disappeared into thin air as quickly as the appeared.

So far the hallucinations have been quick enough to be gone before I could be expected to see them, so I don’t have to confirm or deny their existence… yet.

Jim is still clingy. If I’m out of his sight for more than a minute or two he comes looking for me, even if he’s in the middle of a conversation when I leave.

I was hoping to be able to go visit friends while Jim’s family was here, it doesn’t look like that will be possible, at least  without causing him distress. I’ll have the home assessment people here next week. Perhaps once I have someone come in, they can have him doing activities which will allow me to slip away for a few hours.

On the plus side, I put up two bird feeders. Jim seems to enjoy watching the birds flit about and divebombing the red squirrel trying to get their food.  He’s even stood at the window to get a better look.

Whew! I was worried he’d hate the wildlife. He’s always lived in the city and our new house is definitely rural.