How did you handle the most stressful situation you encountered recently?

I have encountered a situation that is rooted in step-mom's dementia and need to share. Read description & How would YOU handle it?

• ...so, I've been staying at my fathers place for about 2 weeks now, and today he and another family member went shopping, leaving me alone with my step-mother who has varying degrees of dementia. Before they left, I was upstairs with my laptop...but because 'mum' is downstairs and in constant need of supervision, I gathered my things and am now sitting at the dinner table. Earlier, I ate a peanut butter & jelly sandwich at the table and the tissue I had used to wipe the remnants of the aftermath away from the table and from the corners of my mouth was (mistakenly) left on the table. About 20 minutes ago, 'mum' walked up to it and now thinks "someone in the family" has a serious, bleeding anal affliction and frankly, the evidence is quite damning in that it DOES look like bloodied stool on toilet paper. I am trying to assure her I'm just fine but she is insistent upon making it major issue and wont let it go! (this is odd in that most often she'll forget what she says mid-sentence) I know Dad and all will get a good laugh about it all when they return, but my question is actually a serious one because she has had episodes in the past (so I hear) that sounded similar and I'd just like to know if there is an effective approach in quenching such episodes of this nature from someone suffering with Dementia\Alzheimer's...and most importantly! An approach that is from a calming and nurturing direction rather than my miserably futile attempts of trying to convince her that I am NOT bleeding from my anus and leaving the evidence on the dinner table for all to see.

• Answer:

  Simply change the subject to something she really likes and distract.