[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by 911boost

Is this a sign of something sinister in his future? Alzheimer’s?

Not necessarily.
"Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life, while Alzheimer's is a specific disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia." https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/difference-between-dementia-and-alzheimer-s
I deal with a lot of older folks (70-85 years old) in my job. A number of them are at the stage in aging that the are reverting back to childhood in their mental state (think Bell Curve). They get scared or agitated very easily. They also are lonely and will try to extend the phone call to have someone to talk to. They also want to feel needed or important. We spend a lot of time having to validate that their opinion matters.

IMO telling old 'war stories' of the 'good old days' is just wanting to not be left out. I would be more concerned if the story started changing.

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

My best friends grandmother had a 69 cutlass. The driver side was pristine, but the passenger side was all beat up. She was aware enough to keep her distance on the driver side, but not the passenger side.

Bad eyesight and depth perception. You will notice that elderly drivers like the left lane because they can see where the lane ends. The right side of the car is too far away and they can't see down to the ground so their depth perception of where the lane ends is harder to calculate. They are more likely to misjudge the right side of the car.