Question
Dear Margot,

                        My grandma is 73yrs of age and she has polio disease and now is repeating her self. I am worried about her she is my second mother well meaning I love her so much I think of her more then a grandma. She lived in a run down house she was poor in Puerto Rico. And suffered so much has no friends she moved to america NYC at 17! She started to smoke in 1957 and for 57 years but just quit not too long ago this year. I am proud of her but now she is scaring me that she might have alzheimer's! She repeats herself 10-15 times a day. And asks what day is it or time is it and I told her 3 mins ago. She needs help she is scared of the doctor I pushed her to go to the optomiterist for her cateract in both eyes. And now she wont go for a check up! I am scared for her please I need help Margot. Yesterday she brought up our old landlord Maria and we my mom and I dont live at that apartment any more I said that is odd why would she bring her up 15times! She forgets a lot and even ask where are we going 5 times I said to your house she said okay. She goes again where are we going she said to us I said home to your house. Same amount of repeatings. She is okay with the stove and cooking part but she is forgetting things to much. She forgot the time too and what she ate in the morning! Or what I ate in the morning sometimes she prays and forgets a word and stops it is usual to see grandpa struggle with his wife having early signs of alzheimers you know he takes extreme good care of her and I dont want her to go to a nursing home she can function at home well but is there a way to catch this before it gets bad? I really need help this is important to me please.

Answer
Hi Jacqueline and thanks for writing,

Unfortunately you really need to have your Grandma assessed by a qualified professional; if she won't go to a doctor then can you have the community health team come to the house to do an assessment.

There can be several easily treated potential causes for memory loss including infection (Urinary Tract infections being very common in older women), medications, depression, thyroid conditions and of course it could be a more serious cause like stroke or dementia.

You say she repeats herself and has signs of short-term memory loss, but she manages to carry out activities of daily living like dressing and cooking okay - this is a good thing as people with Dementia usually can not function this well and forget simple things like how to cook and do not recognize objects like pots and pans.

I'm sorry I can't be more help, but your really do need to have your Grandma assessed so you will know what's going on and what you can do to help her. She ay just have a simple infection which could clear up in 2 or 3 days with the right antibiotics.

All my best,

Margot