She is quite aware of the difference in her thinking and reasoning abilities. She has had two neuropsychs in two years, first one dxed mild cog impairment, due to a small stroke a few years back; this year (just a few weeks ago) follow-up testing showed no progression.
And l think what Danna is talking about is it it's hard to tell the difference between the normal aging of an elderly dementia patient and how much residual "fog" remains from a uti. My mom was 94 and a half and we could never tell.
Memory loss is often considered a problem with old age, but it’s a common and normal process of aging. As you grow older, it’s more difficult to use analytical skills and make mathematical calculations because the mind has more difficulties taking in new information and keeping it in the mind while it’s processed.
Multi-tasking becomes more difficult. Usually, an elderly person will be able to recall events from long ago, but the details may be selective and factually incorrect. For example, an 80-year-old woman may remember her first day of school, but not remember the name of the teacher or the students in her class.
An aging brain’s ability to retrieve information is not as sharp as it was during a person’s younger years.