Mother does this--if you spend long enough with her, she goes back to the 'start' and begins afresh with her stories.
She's 90 and this kind of diminished talking is normal, though frustrating.
I have 5 kids and I KNOW I repeat myself. Kids used to think it was hilarious, until they had families and do the same thing.
I don't have dementia, but I know this is a sign of it....getting sis in to a neuro doc sooner rather than later may help if there are medications she can take to slow the progress.
Dear Emmajane1, "Lealonnie1's" answer pretty much says it all. One of the things I would like to add, is there are a lot of times when they can come across as "normal" or "ok" fooling people and I don't necessarily mean intentionally - I'm just saying they can have moments where their behavior seems fine. When I first placed my mom in an AL facility and had lunch with her in their dining room, one of the ladies that sat with us had some other health issues so I always thought she was there because of those. Then one day while having lunch, she started this whole conversation with multiple times of repeating stories - I was completely taken aback as I had no idea up until then.
My mom at the age of 95 with Alzheimer's related dementia can still sometimes sound almost normal and she's had it around 8 years. I also have an Aunt (by marriage) who my cousin strongly believes has some form of dementia. Since she lives in another state, I don't see her but, I have talked to her many times by phone in the past four months and it is very hard for me to detect.
When I used to attend a very large support group years ago, they actually had the family member/caregiver bring their loved one who had the disease. We would all meet in the same room and let me tell you there were a couple of them that I would never have guessed had any problem. In this group after the initial chatting with everyone took place, the ones with the disease would stay in the room and have a special professional stay with them while the caregivers went to another room to talk through problematic situations and the other group members would chime in if they had suggestions etc. It was really an interesting type of support group!
So, I really hope you will get your sister to a doctor/Neurologist as soon as possible that way they can do a brain scan and give her a verbal test sometimes referred to as an MMSE (Mini Mental State Exam) which can vary in length depending on how in depth that particular doctor goes. Also, the scan can give them a better idea what type of dementia she may have as there are many types. Good luck to you both and hope to hear what transpires!
It's called "Showtiming" when they're able to put on a great show for others, seeming perfectly fine while carrying on a conversation......they fool a lot of people *even doctors* with this! My mother is The Queen of it!!! They rely on muscle memory to make 'small talk', you'll notice.......the chatter doesn't have any real substance to it/ they can't answer questions or discuss real issues. It's more like the 'hi how are you and the family?' kind of chats.
Yes. Any time you notice odd and new behavior with an elder, especially one who lives alone at such an advanced age, there is definitely cause for concern. She can be displaying signs of dementia/Alzheimer's and will likely need care in the near future if not right away. By the time a person starts repeating themselves incessantly, their cognizance may already be quite diminished. The least of the concerns is the pristine home...........the bigger concerns will be, is she cooking? Is she able to work the thermostat? Is she driving? Getting lost? Able to pay her bill and stay on top of her banking/finances.........the list is endless. If she is a clean freak, is she mixing together ammonia and bleach and asphyxiating herself? There are a ton of possibilities for harm with elders who live alone and have diminished capabilities and normally need help with activities of daily living at some point. The best thing is to have her evaluated by a doctor and see where she's at mentally right now so you can establish a baseline. Then you can make plans for the future based on the outcome.
She's 90 and this kind of diminished talking is normal, though frustrating.
I have 5 kids and I KNOW I repeat myself. Kids used to think it was hilarious, until they had families and do the same thing.
I don't have dementia, but I know this is a sign of it....getting sis in to a neuro doc sooner rather than later may help if there are medications she can take to slow the progress.
"Lealonnie1's" answer pretty much says it all. One of the things I would like to add, is there are a lot of times when they can come across as "normal" or "ok" fooling people and I don't necessarily mean intentionally - I'm just saying they can have moments where their behavior seems fine. When I first placed my mom in an AL facility and had lunch with her in their dining room, one of the ladies that sat with us had some other health issues so I always thought she was there because of those. Then one day while having lunch, she started this whole conversation with multiple times of repeating stories - I was completely taken aback as I had no idea up until then.
My mom at the age of 95 with Alzheimer's related dementia can still sometimes sound almost normal and she's had it around 8 years. I also have an Aunt (by marriage) who my cousin strongly believes has some form of dementia. Since she lives in another state, I don't see her but, I have talked to her many times by phone in the past four months and it is very hard for me to detect.
When I used to attend a very large support group years ago, they actually had the family member/caregiver bring their loved one who had the disease. We would all meet in the same room and let me tell you there were a couple of them that I would never have guessed had any problem. In this group after the initial chatting with everyone took place, the ones with the disease would stay in the room and have a special professional stay with them while the caregivers went to another room to talk through problematic situations and the other group members would chime in if they had suggestions etc. It was really an interesting type of support group!
So, I really hope you will get your sister to a doctor/Neurologist as soon as possible that way they can do a brain scan and give her a verbal test sometimes referred to as an MMSE (Mini Mental State Exam) which can vary in length depending on how in depth that particular doctor goes. Also, the scan can give them a better idea what type of dementia she may have as there are many types. Good luck to you both and hope to hear what transpires!
Best of luck!