Expert: Paula Damgaard - 4/6/2008

Question
Hi,my dad (77 years) has been having trouble with his memory for a long time now.  Suddenly last week he couldn't remember who is wife of 56 years was and he thinks he doesn't live in the house they have lived for the past 12 years.  He believes he just visits there and is hell bent on proving there is another house to the point he is getting agitated because no one knows. Other parts of his memory are fine. Is this normal for it to switch so suddenly?

Answer
Hi Sarah, first I hope that you have had your dad diagnosed.  There are treatments that help to slow this disease down and can give him and your mom better quality of life.  So if you haven't done that please don't wait any longer!

Usually if a demented person has an abrupt sudden change in cognition it is because they have some kind of other illness going on.  Such as a urinary tract infection, cold etc.  Another reason to take him to the doctor.  

You are going to have to take the bull by the horns on this one and get them to do this.  Unfortunately this age group does not really "trust" doctors and so are hesitant to go especially for matters of the brain, because originally dementia was thought to be psychiatric and no one wants to say they have something psychiatric going on in their families.  Alzheimer's disease is not psychiatric it is an organic disease.  Please help them to understand this and get him to a physician who specializes in Alzheimer's disease and memory problems.  

Good luck!  Paula