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Before it was kind of normal for her to doze off for a little bit . Has the normal problem remembering things at her age. But today she had a dazed and confused look to her that i have never seen. At 87 she has been fairly sharp. In April she fell and fractured her shoulder but didnt use much of her pain pills. All she takes is vitamins no other meds. I am her 59 year old son. Her and i are very close and could use some advice. Thank you. Mark

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@shakingdustoff. Thank you so much for the information about tests for UTI. I find this so exciting that I'm going to ask the first question that came to my mind (after my excitement at reading your contribution!) and even before I research how the test works! But I'm immediately caught wondering and worrying if we (myself and the other caregivers out there) will have to "catch" a fresh urine sample in order to make the test work?

@wrongway. I hope by now that your Mother has bounced back to her usual self! My other thought/concern was whether the fall she took in April might have had any other repercussions besides the fractured shoulder that was taken care of. Was an X-ray of her head taken by any chance. Most likely the fall was so centered on her shoulder that ER personnel saw no reason for any other X-ray. I would keep a close eye on her food awhile. My Mother fell and hit her head on the hardwood floor and of course a huge egg appeared very quickly. The ER doctor examined her and told my stepfather that her limbs were okay. I was twenty minutes behind him getting to the hospital and so I missed this exchange between the doctor and my stepfather, who has a habit of NOT asking questions (probably afraid of the possible answers). However later that same day I noticed that her slacks had not been removed, though her blouse was taken off and a hospital gown got put on over the pants for the examination. This seemed important that evening when getting her undressed for bed I found she had a very badly bruised and swollen knee that of course had been covered up by her slacks during the ER Doc's examination. I would say, some examination, that! She hit her head and that's all they were looking at, it appears. She was out in a few hours, with long wait and all.
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Everybody here is right on the money. My guess is a UTI, which can for some reason make a senior seem demented as heck. They can be completely asymptomatic--no urgency, burning, leaking, fever, flank or back pain--and have a raging infection. Nine times out of a ten when an older person acts wacko it's due to a UTI. Small strokes, called transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs, could also be happening. They pass, unlike a UTI. A UTI could kill her if it's not treated.
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Suggest a trip to the doctor. If she is having TIA's or mini strokes best to find out now. If she has a UTI it is easily treated. Not to be fooled with at her age.
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Mark, maybe your Mom just over slept. I know I can't shake the fog if I don't walk up at my normal time each morning.
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Mark did the dazed and confused look continue throughout the day or did her usual thinking and reasoning skills return? I agree with all of the above about uti, but have her seen at some point by a geriatric neurologist to make sure she's not having small strokes. Last year, my mom had similar symptoms. Her doctor sent her to the er, asking for a neuro work up. They discovered a uti and didn't look further, she had a masive stroke 3 days later. I'm not saying it could have been avoided but uti'S AND STROKE SYMPTOMS CAN COEXIST.
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I agree that it could be just a bad day and that keeping a daily log helps in the long run. Cumulative signs could be helpful in new or changing diagnosis. Doctor's involvement when appropriate is probably significant.
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One possibility for a sudden change like this could be an infection such as a uti. Since older people often don't experience the usual symptoms for that, it might be a good idea for Mom to see her doctor to be checked for that.

I suspect more people would stay in bed some days if we didn't have responsibilities and things that have to get done. At 87 your mom should be allowed an off day now and then without causing alarm. But since this was accompanied by confusion, seeing her doctor seems like a good idea to me.

If her doctor does not find any explanation, keep an eye on things. Maybe today was a one-time thing. Maybe she is coming down with something. Maybe it signals the start of some kind of decline. Don't panic, either of you, but just keep track of how things are going in the coming weeks.
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