Mom is so much better in person than on the telephone. Does anyone know why? She has short term memory loss, but on the phone is so much worse. Sometimes she sounds so confused, depressed, forgetful, that I make a two hour drive to see her and make sure she is okay. I get there and she looks good, sounds good, and I'm like you seem fine, what happened? Some days I will hear from her several times in one day, asking me the same question.
Make sure your Mom is using a landline phone instead of a cellphone.... I can't understand people half the time on a cellphone, myself, because the sound is constantly breaking up.... thus I can't imagine someone with hearing issues trying to understand a caller.
Late reply, but just now looking up short term memory loss..... My mom is the same way on the phone vs in person.....and I live across country.
Sometimes I ask her to sit up, have a drink of water, mute the tv, or move on to the next subject if she forgets something..... various things to try to focus her on being there with ME.
SOMETIMES IT WORKS! My mom is 83, 95% in bed, I
ill, but still has it (fleetingly)!
Hope you're having better luck and fewer drives.....