QUESTION:
Recently my dad seems to have difficulty with social interactions. He doesn’t seem to want to talk as much as he used to. Mom said he has been forgetful and she has to repeat the things she says to him. How can we tell what’s going on with him. How do we approach the issue with him without causing hostility? What are the steps we should take?
ANSWER:
To answer your question somewhat in reverse order, convincing your Dad to “get a check-up” may be the first hurdle to overcome. More than likely, he is aware that he is not able to do things the way he had in the past and he may want to avoid a diagnosis that is irreversible. Many people think they will be able to “hide” their reality from their loved ones, and they want to avoid hearing the diagnosis. The higher level of intelligence, the more the individual will think they will be able to hide the symptoms for short periods.