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llou_gw

New here - intro & question

llou
14 years ago

I've been reading previous posts and think this is sure the place to get some good words of wisdom.

Trying to be brief, I have a 91 yr old dad living in assisted living directly across the street from me (incredibly convenient) and an 88 yr old MIL living about 12 miles away.

Todays question, and as time goes one, there may be more, is about MIL. She is currently living alone, and still driving. She was widowed about 7 years ago. No friends, no life, no hobbies, no social outlet except hubby & I. Older son calls, but rarely visits. She is doing OK, she gets meals, takes care of herself, etc. but in the last 6 months we've really noticed a big step down in memory & comprehension. She repeats the same thing over and over within a 10 minute conversation, then when you see her later, she goes over it again. New concepts are getting harder for her. She lately has a lot of trouble differentiating between her debit and credit card. She was fine with them till they sent her new ones in the mail. I can't tell you how many times we've gone over this.

I guess the questions are:

1. Do you correct her when she repeats or just keep saying OK. I'm not sure when to interfere. She asked me to go with her to a doctor's appt in 2 days. I was with her just last month with the same complaints, but she forgets. I tell her nothing is different, remind her of the last appt. but it just doesn't get through. I'm a little embarassed to be back for the same thing.

2. Although she is doing fine now, we wonder if she will get confused one of these days and not remember how to get back from the store. (We have secretly followed her when she is driving, and suprisingly she did great and her license was just renewed last fall) Do we step in to take a license away when there is currently no problem but you can't help anticipating that one will rear it's ugly head. We may have no legal way to do that.

Many of you are dealing with so much more than this, but I'm sure have been in this situation before. Thanks

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