Home ii Forums Behavior Issues Should I lie about my deceased father?

  • Should I lie about my deceased father?

    Posted by Murphy Ortiz on May 10, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    My father died several years ago, but my mom, who has dementia, keeps asking where he is. I keep telling her he passed away a long time ago but she never seems to remember. My brother tells me I should lie to mom and tell her he went to work but I don’t think it’s right to lie. What should I do??

    Cindy replied 4 years, 8 months ago 3 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • Cindy

    Member
    February 11, 2020 at 5:01 pm

    We call this a therapeutic fib and it is absolutely necessary when helping a person with dementia. Some people feel guilty about lying but you are actually helping them. With this disease, common sense and reality no longer work and we need to become creative.