My mom lives in a dementia unit and seems to be functioning pretty well so far. She's only been there three months. My mom has primary progressive aphasia which means she has great difficulty speaking. One with PPA also suffers from all the symptoms of dementia. This means she's disoriented, incontinent, and sometimes, if she is stimulated in a certain way, she becomes combative. She falls frequently and until recently when she was taking more medication, she slept constantly. She walks with a walker and is able to perform some daily functions with help from personal assistants. The dementia unit Mom lives in is quite structured. There are about fifteen to twenty residents and the day is planned for them. It's a very calm atmosphere. The program leader is always trying to involve Mom in activities, some of which she likes and some of which she resists. This is all new to my mother. I think she likes the social aspects of it. I think she likes the food, but I also think that, even in her semi-aware state, she gets bored. I am new to this caregiving thing. We just moved my mom and dad to Denver from Chicago where they lived all their lives and were supervised by my brother. I am trying to decide whether or not, once I get the nerve to take Mom out of the secured unit where she lives, it would be OK to take her shopping in some place like Nordstrom's Rack where the aisles are wide or out for ice cream. Do you think this would be too stimulating and would possibly result in some sort of aggressive reaction? When my brother visited with his wife and children, there was greater intensity and then when they went home, she had a bout with aggression. I'm afraid to do anything other than provide the kind of calm atmosphere she has in her residence.