When most of us think of AAA, we think of car insurance and roadside assistance, but another AAA that you may not be aware of is your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA).

In a previous post, we discussed the clinical definition and dangers of hoarding disorder (HD). If you are unsure if your loved one has HD, the International OCD Foundation says the key feature of HD is disorganization to the point where the living spaces can no longer be used for everyday activities as they were intended.

To the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and all other female figures in our lives who love and encourage us, we say a collective thank you.

When someone who has raised you (whether a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.) begins to decline mentally and physically, it can be frightening and troubling. The person who guided you through all the unfamiliar stages in life now needs you to guide them; your hero needs a hero. This role reversal is becoming extremely common as seniors are living longer. About 30% of middle-aged adults with at least one parent age 65 or older said a parent needs help handling their affairs or caring for themselves. Many adult children will need to prepare to assume a new role in their parents’ lives.

The term "memory loss" is commonly used as a shorthand for dementia, especially in regard to Alzheimer's disease where memory loss is a prominent feature. However, did you know that not all types of dementia include significant memory loss? Did you know some types of memory may remain more intact than others?

While my grandma lived at her home, my mother and I would make it a point to stop by at least twice a week to help with the light cleaning, such as dusting and vacuuming. The underlying clutter we mostly left untouched until after my grandma died. What we found was amazing: a jar full of matches from various establishments, some ancient crackers and so on. I know, the situation could have been more challenging – she could have been hoarding.

“When did a simple trip to the grocery store become so dangerous? Is that a traffic ticket on the floor? Oh no, she is using two feet to drive, and this isn’t a stick shift! Gosh, I haven’t stomped on the imaginary brake pedal this much since Jimmy was 15 years old and learning to drive. I can’t let her drive back home. Maybe she shouldn’t be driving at all.”

Have you ever had this experience? Family members often worry about their aging loved one’s ability to continue driving safely and with good reason.

For older adults who live alone or have lost their spouse, pets can be excellent companions. When my grandfather passed away, my grandmother adopted two blue baby parakeets named Heckle and Jeckle. Although they screeched incessantly, they gave her purpose, and she adored them. She would wake up early to feed them their seed, she would sing to them and every few weeks she would drive to the pet store to buy them more perches, bells, etc.  She was overjoyed when she thought Heckle was going to lay eggs and rushed to get a nesting box (Heckle never laid the eggs because he was just a very chubby boy.)

Tax season is upon us and so are the con artists. In one of the more popular scams, a caller pretends to be an agent from the IRS, complete with a badge number. Even the phone number has a Washington D.C. area code. The phony IRS agent says you owe money and threatens arrest, court action, deportation or license revocation. They try to scare the person by reading off their address, Social Security number and other personal information.

When people think of “dementia,” it is natural to next think “memory loss.” What we may not be prepared for is how other behaviors can change and even become difficult to manage. In fact, it is these challenging behaviors that families report as more troublesome than memory loss.