Has anyone had this experience?

Sounds like dementia/Alzheimers to me. What happens is, the oldest memories stay around longer, but the new memories will be like sticking tape to a greased wall. At first you can keep reminding the person about something in the past and they will most likely remember all or part of it, but later on they won't be able to remember. If she's been diagnosed with dementia, then most likely she's on some sort of drug like Namenda or Aricept that will help slow down the progression. If she hasn't been to see her doctor though since this memory thing has started, it's very important that she gets seen soon. The longer she waits to start on some sort of drug, the less likely it will be to help her. Been going down this slippery road with my mother-in-law for 5 years now. She asks the same questions a hundred times, but just CAN NOT retain the memory of the question she asked me literally 30 seconds before. No lie. Be patient, but she needs to be seen by a doctor. ASAP. ♥

Is she asking for information or reassurance? MY MIL lives in a 5 Star rated nursing home and is well cared for by skilled and caring staff. She repeatedly asks who is going to take care of her. If we give her a minute think about it, she comes up with the information that the staff will take care of her and she needs to use her call light for assistance. She also repeatedly asks the staff who is going to take her from the dining room to her room after meals. She became very anxious when she stopped being able to walk independently. In her case, I believe the repeated questions are her way of controlling her anxiety by being frequently reassured that the staff is there to care for her.

I think the anxiety aspect is a big part of the reason. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's/dementia 3 years ago. I think she knows she has memory issues and doesn't trust something even when she does remember . And cognitive ability is waning. She remembers how to start and lawn mower and does even though she's not supposed to, but not that she had a doctors visit that morning.
It seem she remember things she has done physically more than other things. I thinkafter answering once or twice I will just encourage her to "think about it for a minute."