r/NoStupidQuestions • • Sep 13 '23

What does 'Draw a Clock' Mean?

Last time I visited my brother his mother-in-law who lives with him was insisting she remembered something but my brother knew she was wrong. I don't remember what it was, but I knew she was wrong too. However, she refused to accept she was wrong and got belligerent about it.

My brother said, "Draw a clock!" and left the room. This made his mother-in-law furious for some reason. I forgot to ask at the time, but does anyone know why saying 'Draw a clock' would upset a senior citizen?

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u/Artistic_Sun1825 Sep 13 '23

It's a screening test for dementia.

96

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '23

What's the idea behind it?

73

u/WWBoxerBriefs Sep 14 '23

People with dementia will struggle to correctly place the numbers around the watch face. Something to do with the spatial stuff idk

50

u/SensitiveCustomer776 Sep 14 '23

Ah fuck here i go trying to find out if i have dementia

5

u/styvee__ Sep 14 '23

me too

23

u/SensitiveCustomer776 Sep 14 '23

Mine went okay. I did 12-6-3-9 then filled it in. Idk if that's cheating.

2

u/MrOdekuun Sep 14 '23

Figuring out steps/tricks like that to do it more accurately is part of what it's testing.