We all forget where we put our glasses and, yes, even forget our SS number occasionally. However, at age 94, if we have any of our mental capabilities left, we know that some form of dementia can set in and that is what "freaks" us out. It is difficult to adjust to this and is one of the most common fears of the elderly. There are many forms of dementia, Alzheimer's being one of them. I would suggest that your mom be tested by a neurologist and that she also seek counsel from a geriatric therapist to help her come to terms with her loss of memory.

I'm in a similar situation but my mom is 10 years younger and we know she has dementia. For the most part she is pretty happy but when she gets frustrated she gets angry and nasty. It is heart breaking to witness this but it's our job to make the best of it.

First thing I would suggest is observing what things upset her the most and try to find a way to minimize the upset. If she can't find her glasses see if she will accept a librarian chain to keep them around her neck. Or get an extra pair that you can keep so when she gets upset you can hand this pair to her. Also make sure she is eating regularly and drinking enough water because even little changes can set off elderly people.

You should mention this to your mom's doctor if you feel it is something new or changing. There probably isn't much worth doing medically about it. Medications are likely to cause more problems than they help. If mom becomes violent you should ask the doctor if he can give you something for emergencies.

Then you need to get yourself together. Watching our parents age is very painful. We know that someday they will be gone..you don't "recover" from aging. It's often a long, draining process where we watch them changing and sometimes suffering and at the same time we realize that this will be us some day. It's just the way things are. It helps to talk to people about this. A friend, a pastor or a therapist. Never forget rule #1 of caring for someone - take care of yourself or you won't be able to help anyone else. When you can accept that mom is going to die some day you will be able to help her enjoy the time you have left together.

I think that decluttering the environment and simplifying things helps. That way there are fewer things to lose, and fewer places for them to get lost.

Now if I could just do that in MY life!

Dealing with the same thing...sure tugs at the heart and I've cried more than a few tears over it too....then I grab a tissue and look at all the ways she sti

Dealing with the same thing...sure tugs at the heart and I've cried more than a few tears over it too....then I grab a tissue, dry the eyes and make sure she is recognized for the ways she still takes care of herself and even me...I try to make light of a particular occurrence by pointing out how forgetful I have always been-and that it's hereditary...lol

thx for the supportive comments guys :-))

I know how you feel.. It's hard to watch them decline in any way.

My mother was diagnosed about a year ago with AFIB and is now on warfarin. I know for some the warfarin can cause memory issues and I've seen this a lot with my mother recently.

Grocery shopping as of late has become a nightmare! My mother barks at me the entire shopping trip. "We have this, we don't need to buy that, etc. etc. etc." AND, when we get home; ooops, apparently we didn't have any of the things that I wanted to buy after all. Her short term memory is just atrocious! I was so angry at her when we got home for embarrassing me in the store to the point she did but then watching her frantically search the cabinets for the products I wanted to buy, just crushed me to see her. I just started laughing and said, well, we'll just have to go back out and since it's so hot, we'll just have to stop at the ice cream stand. So,off we went. She was happy, I was happy.......

Just made me think there for a minute. Thank Goodness I didn't jump down her throat which was my initial feeling to go with and turned it into something small. These times certainly try your patience...

Memory loss is so hard to deal with. My Mom's memory is horrible as well.....the result, I think, of to much anesthesia during a surgery a couple of years ago. So her onset was very sudden.

Now she can't remember a conversation she had 5 minutes before. My Mom is only 75....which isn't that old for a woman in my family. (They tend to live into their 90's)

Hi. I am new here, but after reading your post, I felt I should add this comment regarding your Mom's confusion.
Recently, my 94 year old Mom became confused, shaky, and less able to walk. It was surprising, as she is a sharp lady for her age. Even her speech was slurred, so we assumed she'd had a small stroke.
Eventually, she deteriorated so quickly, that we took her to emergency. There she was diagnosed with a severe urinary tract infection, and was admitted for a full week before it cleared.
We had no idea that the dementia could be a symptom of the infection, but found out that it is very common in the very elderly.
Please check for the physical possibility of a UTI before assuming it is just age- related senility.