Why can't my father remember things anymore?

His first marriage was from an era he remembers. Usually it is the more recent memories that dementia claims. My husband could remember his grade school bus driver when he couldn't recognize more recent people in his life.

What if you sit and look at old albums with him, with wedding pictures, your baby pictures, etc. and see if you can trigger memories from that period and work your way forward?

There might be soething else going on here, I don't know. But it really is amazing how selective the ability to retrieve memories can be. The brain is an awesome mystery.

Thanks Jeanne I do try and pull out albums, I just think it's strange because I look so much like her, and he can remember my brother that died. And he was from that marriage. I guess it just hurts my feelings more then anything, that he can't remember my mom.

Jeanne is correct with her response to your question. It is called retrogenesis. Someone with Alzheimer's typically will revert back in other times in their life. I know it does not make it any easier for you and it makes sense that it would hurt your feelings. Try to remember that he is not doing it to hurt you. It was so hard on me when my grandmother could not remember me as her granddaughter yet thought I was my mom (her daughter in law) that had passed away when I was 20. I was 26 when I went on my journey with Alzheimer's with my grandmother. Hope you are able to work through your hurt feelings. Wishing you strength, courage and happiness with those in their days gone by,
Deanna