My mom is 93 and her signs of old age are progressing rapidly. She has short term memory, confusion, etc. She started talking in her sleep a couple of months ago. Now it is an every night thing all through the night. There have been several occasions where she is sitting up in bed and totally confused.
Can this be a sign of early dementia or just old age progression. How do you tell the difference? Help!
If she is negative for a UTI, there are other medical problems that can cause dementia-like symptoms, such as vitamin deficiency, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, tumor, thyroid issues, etc. She should have a thorough exam and when everything else is discounted given a cognitive exam so that you know where you stand in helping her with any other medical treatments in the future.
I'm hoping she has assigned a PoA. Once she has incapacity she will no longer be able to assign one. I wish you much success in helping her receive the proper diagnosis and treatment.
Here is a link to a helpful article from the Alzheimer's Association: Just Forgetful, Or Is It Dementia?
https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/diagnosis/just-forgetful-or-is-it-dementia/?gclid=CjwKCAjwi6WSBhA-EiwA6Niok8hhq4FTxNTB_Lhz4yLc-MVKHalgWISSQZ1dvpX33lmg_dgtEqSKahoC1qoQAvD_BwE
It never hurts to have a urine culture while you're at the doctor's office, either.
Wishing you the best of luck.