[blk911]

Dottore,

I feel for you, going through this with my dad right now. Mom died three years ago but before she went she kept telling me "you better keep an eye on your father, he's losing it". We thought she was just old cranky whatever, fact is, he functioned pretty well while she was alive because she kept him busy and because she required his full time care, he had a purpose and she was giving him direction. Right after she passed, we could see something not right with Dad. Dementia causes inability to follow directions, short term memory loss, impaired judgement, and a number of things. There are actually several forms of dementia and sometimes Alzheimers is present as well. No cure, no reversal, but they can slow it down and perhaps control unwanted behaviors somewhat if that is an issue. Tests are simple, I was there when they administered them, basically asking questions in a conversational fashion. Best bet is to get her to a Board Certifiied Geriatric Psychiatrist that specializes in memory related diseases.

Is she the surviving spouse of a war time veteran? If so, check with the Veterans Adminstration about benefits under a program called Aid & Attendance. Assisted living is not cheap, but cheaper than your sanity. Very difficult to deal with a loved one, they are no longer who they used to be. Be happy to answer more questions or whatever, just PM me.

Blessings,

Mike