I just want to see if this is normal. my dad is 72 he recently got a divorce and asked me to move in with him because he didn’t want to live alone and be injured possibly so i moved back in with him recently.
He doesn’t forget conversations / where places are that he drives to. but he forgets where he puts things a lot and it’s worrying me. is this the beginning of something i should be worried about or is it normal at his age for this to be happening.
for example he put his tools in the garage then forgot where he put them a few hours later, he would grab his phone and wallet and have it in his basket on his motor scooter and then a few minutes later ask me to check his room and see where it is, and similar instances like he just keeps forgetting where he puts items. does this happen to older people?
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Pull his primary care physician into a conversation about your concerns. Medical advancements have been made to help slow dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Is Dad aware that he is forgetting things? I’ve heard if they’re aware, it leans toward age. If they’re not aware, it’s time to be concerned.
Don’t go it alone. Get his doctor’s input. Also, you might reach out to a department of aging or senior enrichment center if you have one in the area. They may have resources and offer some sort of support and education.
Keep in mind he’s going through a lot of changes, he and his partner might have had systems that now he has to reconfigure.
Regardless of what Reddit says about how normal this is, I suggest a visit to a memory care specialist — better safe than sorry.
I’m not minimizing your concern.
The thing is, you’ve never lived with him before, right? Is it possible he tends to do this sometimes and you’ve been unaware?
I’ve told my kids for the last 30 years – when I lose my keys and put the toothpaste in the fridge please remember I did that when I was 25, too.
It’s a result of thinking about something else while on autopilot. I’m just saying while yes, normal to be concerned, not necessarily a sign he’s in early stage dementia.
I was an RN that worked primarily with Alzheimer’s patients. It sounds like your dad has gone through a stressful event. Stress can wreak all kinds of havoc on a person, including memory. To me this sounds like age related forgetfulness. It’s like walking into a room and forgetting why you went there. We all do that. It’s when he goes out and gets lost, or if his forgetfulness becomes very frequent, or personality changes, becomes agitated quite easily or violent/ aggressive, then it can be a serious problem. The other thing to consider is if there is a history of dementia in your family. I would talk to your dad’s doctor and express your concerns as it could be something that is treatable. Urinary tract infections in older people often present with similar symptoms to dementia. It clears right up when given a course of antibiotics. Try not to worry. There are all kinds of reasons this could be happening that aren’t necessarily dementia.
usually, its lack of mindfulness and not a memory issue that is to blame for this sort of thing. I am bad about this as well, and when I am being mindful about things it helps a lot.
I don’t think its a big problem unless it gets a lot worse and he starts having more issues about other stuff.
It can be normal, try playing strategy games with him. Chess, etc. We play all kinds of tabletop and RPG, it definitely helps your brain improve and stay healthy.
I have heard that not remembering where you put things is okay. Not remembering what your keys are for, is a problem.
Has he had a check-up at the Dr.
I’m 63 and 4 yrs ago after retiring started on BP and cholesterol meds and last started on a Asprin a day .
The asprin a day really helped memory.