She never learns how to start an automatic washing machine.

Four days ago, I wrote that my mother “is eighty-six years old, still can wash and clean”. But in fact, she cannot do those chores completely herself. Cleaning is almost okay. Although she cannot change a trash collecting bag inside vacuum cleaner, that bag is not a thing that needs to be changed so frequently.

Washing is not okay. Every time she uses washing machine, she calls me from the first floor, and I need to go down from the second floor. Then I teach her how to start the washing machine. The washing machine is a product of Toshiba, which has a function to save amount of laundry detergent. Because of this function, the procedure to start washing is a little different from ordinary “automatic washing machine”.

The procedure is as follows; Close the lid. Push the power button. If the program for washing, rinsing, and dehydrating is okay, push the start button. And then, the machine rotates a little, measures the weight of clothes, and displays necessary amount of detergent. Open the lid, pour detergent of the amount indicated, and close the lid. After this, do not touch any button.

But my mother never learns this procedure. She says “Why do I close the lid before pouring detergent?”.

Actually, I also needed a little bit of time to get used to this washing machine when I started using it ten years ago. I am not sure whether or not this function and procedure are common to washing machines of other manufacturers. Since she cannot understand why such a procedure is required, she can’t memorize the way to start the machine. Therefore, every day or at least once in two days, I hear she tells me to come down saying with loud voice “Tell me how to start the washing machine!”.

Until several months ago, she uses another washing machine of old type. I mean the old type is the two-tub washing machine in which washing tub and spin-drying tub are separated. One day, the spin-drying tub became slow and eventually stopped spinning. I checked and found that ELEVEN socks were clinging to the shaft under the tub. Probably she put a lot of clothes into the spin-drying tub and rotated it without the inner cap to prevent clothes popping out. Since socks were light, they could get out of the tub by the centrifugal force, and fell under the tub. Even though I removed all the socks clinging to shaft, the spin-drying tub was broken. That was the reason for us to have changed from a two-tub washing machine to a fully automatic washing machine.

I guess that my mother exhibits early symptom of dementia. She cannot remember things that are new. I have the similar experience with my deceased father. He also got dementia in his last years. From that experience, I could say the progression of dementia is slow, takes many years. At this moment, I am not sure how her symptom is getting worse in coming years. But I have to take care of her and prepare for the things to come. Since I have already retired, I think it will be less tough for me when comparing with other people in their 50’s who still work, probably.