Do elders shut down questions without responding? My late mother did. I was always confused when she could not, nor would not answer a question as simple as 'Would you like coffee or tea?' My mother's brain functionality was not classified as impaired by any medical professional; she was generally of lucid mind. However, she would routinely say to me, quite loudly, "No more questions!!" They seemingly overwhelmed her.
Good question.
Rejection of any kind can hurt.
Sorry you went through that.
People can be unkind and irritable, distracted.
It was about her, not any fault of yours. 🦙️
Are you asking about people who can’t answer questions due to dementia or just won’t answer questions for no apparent reason? I ask that because my mother has been opposed to answering questions since she was in her twenties. My earliest memories include my mother refusing to answer simple questions from people in my immediate family. There was no dementia. She does have depression and anxiety. It was very frustrating and hurtful to ask her questions and have her keep silent for days, sometimes for weeks. I cried, begged and pleaded with her to no avail. She would talk about other things. She could speak fine. Just refuse to answer simple questions. Sometimes, neighbors or family friends would intervene with her. She always answered questions from people outside the home. Just my dad, siblings and I who she refused to answer questions. When she finally did answer, she would bite your head off...very hostile, like it was our fault:( She’s still that way a lot of the time. I chalk it up to mental illness and/ Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I’m no expert. JMO
I also have to tell him one concept at atime. I can't say put your shoes and socks on and get your jacket. He just stands there like a deer in the headlights. His poor broken brain just can't cope. And that makes my heart hurt.
My mother hated being a burden on us.
So her pat answer was, “Whatever you fix is fine with me.”
I didn’t have to ask and there were plenty days that I just went into the kitchen and cooked.
I wanted to offer choices sometimes or simply know what she was in the mood for.
Sometimes she would tell me if she was in the mood for a particular food. She was happy to have it and expressed thanks.
You know what? There are days that I don’t have a clue as to what I feel like eating or cooking! Same for my husband.