Mother is ill for several years w/heart condition. One doc said she "may" have early dementia. I notice things like a little memory loss like I told her something yesterday and she forgets it today. Or even forgets in the same day. Some repeating, not a lot.
Here is the question: At times, we can have a totally normal conversation and at others, it is all confusing to me. I get so confused that I think it's me at time. She gets angry at me and will not listen to anything I say that I did not mean to get her angry.
So can, a person be angry at seem to be forgetting at times and then at others times seems totally normal and back to the way they once were which was kind and caring?
Thank you.
In retrospect we see things we couldn't process at first. I knew something was wrong, but couldn't put my finger on it. Even professionals may not pick up on it.
Some things I saw in my loved one were, odd behavior, such as throwing her banana peels in the front yard; hoarding, insisting food in the fridge would last forever; wearing ill fitting clothes without concern; claiming items in her home were moved, when they weren't; avoiding social and family gatherings; forgetting to prepare meals; posting post its of tv shows and reminders of things she normally knew, etc. And the biggest thing was the repeating of stories that she had already told me an hour before. Even when I would tell her she had just told me the story, she would ignore it and insist on telling me the story over and over.
There was an anger phase, but once that passes, it seems they may forget to be angry anymore. I haven't seen any anger for awhile now. I suppose each person is different though.
If new people meet my Mom [97] they would think she has dementia because they will ask her something and she will answer with something that isn't related to what was asked. Then I have to jump in and say Mom is very hard of hearing, but once she finally hears the topic [I have to be a walking thesaurus], she can have a normal conversation. Example, once she catches the word "football", stand back, she's a walking stat machine on pro football.