Memory

I think one of the hardest aspects of dealing with someone elderly, is their memory. Is their forgetfullness simply old age, or a symptom of something far worse? Is it a sign of altzheimer's or is it a sign of an infection?

How do you read the signs?

There is no easy answer, and how you cope with someone's fixated memory of what isn't real, is a hard one to make. One nurse suggested confrontation, which just, well seems cruel to me. Bad enough they are having memory issues, worse to be made to feel like they are losing their mind.

Mom is having these issues, but I wonder, if it isn't some underlying problem, to do with her weakness? Could it be a lack of oxygen to the brain, which is why she is puffing so much of the time?

It is at times like this, I wish we had a decent doctor to help. Granted I am moving her to another Doctor, that should be better, but there is a wait list, and how long that will be, is anyone's guess. In the meantime, we tread water, hoping nothing serious happens, until the change is made.

And yet, I dont know. I have always believed that the sooner you catch something amiss, the easier it is to fix. So am I taking too big of a risk, and should I maybe pester our current doctor? Granted he's not easy to get ahold of, and once he does appear, he doesn't seem to have any answers. So is it a waste of time to spend that energy on him, or should I concentrate on just being vigil, until the new Doctor can get onto the case?