Can someone with dementia count and keep a running tally of 4 or 5 thousand dollars?

Rockerchik55, are you trying to figure out whether your loved one has dementia? This particular behavior isn't going to be decisive. Yes, a person with dementia might be able to do math or other complex cognitive tasks. Or not. Each case is different, and one example like this doesn't prove anything one way or another.

Keeping large sums of cash in the closet might be a sign of dementia, although, again, it is not proof. Is this a relatively new behavior? If she is doing it because she has some mobility problems and it is very hard for her to get to the bank or an atm and she wants the convenience of having cash on hand that would be different than if she is doing it because she is certain that aliens have taken over all the banks. See what I mean?

My father had been a math teacher - yet in his early 80's lost the ability to do even basic math. It was the only sign of dementia he ever exhibited up until his passing at 85 - other than the math he remained sharp as a tack.

Four grand in the closet?! That's doesn't seem like a good idea. Her dementia is going to get worse and who knows what will happen to all that cash.

My father had mixed dementia and had no trouble with math until the last few months of his life.

MsMadge thanks for your response...no she hides all this money in her closet. She might decide to give me or my son some money and she immediately deducts the amount and changes the total accurately.

Are you referring to keeping a checkbook accurately ?

My mom was a bookkeeper and very good with records and she can still do simple math in her head and spell words backwards etc however writing out checks became difficult not knowing the date and of course she would hide the checkbook so she wasn't able to handle household bills on her own