OkieGranny Asked June 2021
My husband keeps asking questions with obvious answers. Is this a sign of the beginning of dementia?
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I looked this phenomenon up online but couldn't find anything. As an example of the type of questions he asks, he asked me if the dog treats I bought were for our daughter's dog. That's the only dog they could possibly be for! That was about a month ago. Today I bought another package, and he asked me again. He also asked me if he should use a credit card to pay for gas. That's what we always do. When I told him we never use a debit card at gas pumps, he said he wasn't going to do that. So I said, "Then why did you ask?" Then he got mad.
These non-stop questions with obvious answers are driving me nuts. I'm trying to be patient in case it is a mental thing. Anybody have experience with a similar situation?
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My mom asks what I call "weird questions" like this too. We're going to an elder care specialist to get her evaluated in a couple of weeks.
Even without a diagnosis, I think it is best to be patient (though I know that is a tall order!). My mom, I KNOW something is going on. Not sure what but she's just not firing on all cylinders anymore. I expect her to say odd things. To not be able to have a normal conversation but tell stories and speak in platitudes. Boring as heck but I just try to keep myself busy with chores while she's telling me things that I already know or that don't make sense so it's not too maddening.
I'm training myself not to explain or let me thoughts of "OMG are you seriously asking me this??" show. I am trying to just answer the question, no matter how obvious the answer may be. It's brought my stress level down a bit. It's better for her too since it's not pointing out over and over again how ridiculous some of the things she says are.
Is your hubby with it enough to have a frank conversation about this? In a loving way, you could tell him that you're worried about him and think that he might be having trouble remembering things that he used to know and would he please get evaluated so you can both know what's going on?
As for other symptoms, I'm not sure. There was one time where he seemed to be unable to continue a conversation. He just stopped speaking for what seemed a long time before he started speaking again. Another time he was just staring off into space with a strange, blank look on his face. I also thought this might be Parkinson's, but he doesn't have any of the usual signs of that.
He is a type 2 diabetic, is not taking care of himself, and is on many different medications for that.
Forgetting where you put your car key is normal aging.
Forgetting what the car key is for is a sign of trouble.
Your husband can't seem to make the connection between the dog treat and the only dog, or paying for gas and using the credit card as the usual form of payment.
Maybe the neurologist has some answers as to what's going on with your husband's mind. Here's hoping it's not the diagnose you fear.