Memory loss is generally believed to be the primary symptom of AD. For Kate I think it is the dysfunctional way she addresses everyday tasks. Part of this I believe may relate to memory. Let me give this example that occurred this morning and the previous few days.
Kate recently learned that she would be interviewing candidates for a PEO grant this morning. She knew that she would do this with one other other person. Knowing that I would need to take her because she would get lost, I asked her what time she was meeting. I did not ask the location because she has always met in the library. Kate told me she didn’t know, that she had the information in an email on her computer. I asked her again last night what time she had to be there. She said she would check. This morning I asked again. She simply said, “Not yet.” I asked again a little later. Finally, at 9:20 I asked again. She did not seem concerned but a little frustrated that I would keep asking. I told her that I only wanted to know because we might have to be leaving right away. She got upset and started to cry and said would call the PEO sister she was working with. I followed her. Kate didn’t know where her phone number was. She ultimately found it in her PEO directory and called her at 9:25. She found out it was 9:30. We rushed right over to the meeting place. We got there at 9:45 and found the building was closed. We went to another building to see if we could find any information that would help us. We finally learned where the meeting would be and got there right as the first candidate was leaving.
I know this was an embarrassing situation for Kate. This is the kind of thing that is going to catch up to her, and her friends are going to recognize that something is wrong.
In addition, I talked with Kate last night about her role in this year’s process of selecting candidates. I reminded her that when she finished the last time she said she would only help with the interviewing of candidates and would not get into writing letters of reference and helping the candidates get their applications in online. She did not remember this of course and did not like the idea. I told her if she wanted to do what she did last year, she should get me to keep the records, including contact information, for each candidate because she misplaces the information and then is frustrated when she needs info and can’t find it. This kind of thing is going to become a nightmare. We’re on the edge right now.
