Many of us notice that time feels different as we age. But for people living with dementia, changes in time perception can become even more pronounced. Days blur and routines become harder to follow. In this article we explore how dementia affects time perception, why these changes happen, and what you can do to help.
Dementia & The Passage of Time
Although we measure moments in seconds, our perception of time is not so constant.
Ever had a day where the minutes drag on... and then another where a week seemingly flies by? Perhaps the 'march of time' is not so steady after all. Indeed, science suggests our sense of time is affected by many personal factors including hormones, emotions, and age.
Time & Dementia
As a general phenomenon, time seems to move faster as we get older. But for people living with dementia, this shift can be disorienting. Moments may feel stretched or compressed.
A visit that happened yesterday might feel like it was months ago.
Not everyone develops dyschronometria (a term for distorted time perception), but many people with dementia experience confusion about the time of day, the date, or even the decade they are in.
These changes can heighten anxiety and make routines difficult to follow.
👉 See our related tips: How to Manage Sudden Confusion
5 Signs Dementia Is Affecting Time Perception
1. Time Shifting
Often associated with Alzheimer's Diseases, Time shifting is when a person sees the world as if they’re living in their past. It can feel completely real to the person experiencing it.
They may speak as though their parents are still alive, expect themselves look young when they look in the mirror, or think they are working an old job.
2. Loss of Routine Awareness
People with dementia often lose track of their daily routines. Mealtimes, appointments, or simple day/night cues become harder to follow. This disorientation can affect eating habits, sleep cycles, and overall wellbeing.
3. Struggling to Tell the Time
Clock faces can become difficult to read. Numbers may not make sense, or the hands on an analogue clock may be hard to interpret.
4. Difficulty Estimating Time
If a loved one says, “You haven’t called in weeks,” when you spoke with them yesterday, this could be a sign of dyschronometria - when the brain loses its sense of how long things take or when they happened.
👉 Know the difference between a memory lapse and an early sign of dementia? See: Early Signs of Dementia Checklist
5. Disorientation with Days, Months, or Seasons
Confusion can extend beyond the time of day to weeks, months, or even seasons. This can cause distress and make festive events feel out of place.
Tips to Support Healthy Time Perception
Although dementia-related changes in time perception are challenging, there are tools and practical techniques to help.
📌 Visual Tools: Use dementia-friendly clocks or calendars as orientation cues.
📱 Assistive Technology: Apps like Elli Cares offer helpful reminders for medications, mealtimes, and activities. These help break the day into sections and reduce stress.
🧠 Care Strategies: Help your loved one maintain a consistent routine, and offer plenty of reassurance that everything is okay. When someone is time shifting, avoid correcting them in a harsh or dismissive way. Instead, respond with empathy and curiosity.
👉 The Alzheimer’s Society UK offer more guidance on how to communicate gently during memory lapses.
Final Thoughts: Supporting a Grounded Sense of Time
Time and memory can feel unreliable when you're living with dementia or caring for someone who is. But with the right tools and support, it's possible to bring more clarity to each day. Dementia-friendly appliances, reminders, and compassionate care approaches are a great way to start.
🕒 Small changes make all the difference.
Ready to take the first step?
👉 Discover How Elli Cares Reminders Help Manage Daily Tasks, Appointments & Medications
