Monday, May 18, 2009

Uh, I Hate to Tell You This, But...

I see Alzheimer's patients all the time. Usually early on, but sometimes one is so advanced when they get brought in for the first time that you wonder how the family ever DIDN'T notice this before.

So today I had a talk with a family who swears grandma is fine, even though she doesn't know the year and thinks Eisenhower is President.

At one point the son said to me "Doc, Mama's perfectly fine. She can watch TV all by herself."

Sorry, folks. The ability to watch TV all by your lonesome does NOT constitute proof of a healthy IQ. Not even in the land of the couch potatoes.

2 comments:

Fiz said...

Poor lady - how sad, and what rotten "carers".

Grumpy, M.D. said...

At least this one wasn't still driving. It's terrifying how many are.

 
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