Short-term memory, absolutely appalling….

kittylester

Ironically, I am usually in charge of writing name badges for people who come to our monthly Memory Cafe.

That's a bit embarrassing.

I keep losing mine. Or forgetting to hand it in again.

The person who is in charge of name badges and sending birthday cards in our group never forgets anyone's name and she's three years older than me.

I'm so glad I've just read all these comments. It has put my mind at rest. The forgetting of names, etc, didn't really start until I was 80, so I'm a late starter.

Dottydots

I'm so glad I've just read all these comments. It has put my mind at rest. The forgetting of names, etc, didn't really start until I was 80, so I'm a late starter.

I can remember calling my DS by the dog's name and I'd have been a harassed forty year old then!

kittylester

Ironically, I am usually in charge of writing name badges for people who come to our monthly Memory Cafe.

That's a bit embarrassing.

Kitty this made me giggle. I’m going with the opinion that if you know about it then it’s not dementia.

It’s all to do with the difference between long and short term memory.

Long term memory stays pretty much intact even for those with mild dementia apparently which is why people can remember so much of what happened decades ago yet struggle with recent events.

Nevertheless when our memory lets us down it’s inevitably worrying, even though we are told that a small amount of cognitive decline is normal as we get older.

My theory is that as there is so much talk these days about dementia that it’s inevitable that we will pounce on any small memory failure with alarm.

I remember reading once that occasionally mislaying our keys or glasses is normal, but if we then eventually find them in the fridge, it’s maybe time to worry!

I can't remember the day's Wordle solution almost as soon as I've posted it.

Is it just me?🤔

I still work part-time in a high dementia care home and actually love my job…
I see the effects on the people and on their families and it is heartbreaking…..😥

ixion

I can't remember the day's Wordle solution almost as soon as I've posted it.

Is it just me?🤔

I’m exactly the same. I have to go back and check it. 😵‍💫

What a reassuring thread. I like benign forgetfulness. When I asked me if she was forgetting whether she’d taken her morning regular meds, she said ‘sometimes, but I’ve always been forgetful so I’m not going to worry about it’.
We got her one of those boxes where you store daily drugs. It was no more use than mums memory

My short term memory is pretty awful. I used to be good with names but now have to write them down (well not actually peoples names: I always make a note of the names of dogs I meet out walking as I know it makes me happy when people make a point of remembering my dogs name). The problem is my long term memory has always been awful and there aren’t many people from my past that can fill in the gaps for me.

This generally happens because the brain is young and healthy in earlier years when the memories are made and stored whereas in later years not so much as the brain is older and not so efficient.
I shouldn't worry too much about it unless it is impacting on your everyday activities.

I’m glad it’s not just me forgetting the Wordle solution seconds after I have done it… hmmm…

There is such a thing as 'age related memory loss' so it's okay to relax about some level of forgetfulness.

Shinamae

ixion

I can't remember the day's Wordle solution almost as soon as I've posted it.

Is it just me?🤔

I’m exactly the same. I have to go back and check it. 😵‍💫

No, if DH asks what the word is, I can't remember.

Once completed, it's irrelevant 😀

Shinamae

I still work part-time in a high dementia care home and actually love my job…
I see the effects on the people and on their families and it is heartbreaking…..😥

I do remember seeing the start of dementia in a much-loved relative. She wasn't forgetful, she just seemed to be saying very odd things.

Woollywoman

I’m glad it’s not just me forgetting the Wordle solution seconds after I have done it… hmmm…

I forget so soon after getting the word. If you ask me now what today’s word was I’d be stumped. But I think that is more understandable because the word has no context, and is just a random selection of letters. Well, that’s what I’m blaming it on 😂

My memory has disappeared since I went through radiotherapy and the resultant stress of cancer, but I haven't considered it might be dementia. My mum had the illness but with her she started to say strange things like my dad had removed all the light bulbs and had invited two men and a woman to stay in the spare bedroom. Later she asked me if I had seen her Mam and Dad recently - they had died about 40 years earlier.

But I do identify with most of the examples others have given on here!

OP, if it was dementia, you wouldn’t be able to remember that you couldn’t remember things, so it wouldn’t be bothering you. At least, that’s been my experience of dementia in my mother and my FiL.

The day it finally dawned that my mother did have dementia - it wasn’t just ‘old age forgetfulness’ - was when she phoned her bank about something, and could not remember - literally the instant she’d put the phone down - what they’d said.,

Normally she’d have been in a right old tizz about such a thing, but she forgot about it immediately.
(My heart sank, though - we’d already been through it all once with FiL.🙁)

I used to get my kids’ names mixed up and go through the list before I got the right one when they were young. Now I do it with the grandkids and great grandkids. Too much …

Family birthdays are my downfall. I used to laugh when my mother recited them as though they were a test. Now I know why. 😂

My grandma always called me "Ma Ka Margaret" cos she had to go through my mum's name (Marian), my older cousin's name (Kathryn) before she got to me!

I have two sons-in-law with the same forename but always use the wrong surname!

nanna8

I used to get my kids’ names mixed up and go through the list before I got the right one when they were young. Now I do it with the grandkids and great grandkids. Too much …

Max, Billy and Oscar
Two sons and a grandson and I am forever calling them the wrong name I do correct myself eventually 😳

I read a rather interesting article on this. It said that it helps recall to do new things as repeated actions are stored differently. If I could only remember where I read it.

My daughter does Wordle late at night. 11.45 and sends me the result. I look and think "Oh yes that was it today". I do mine at crack of dawn. I would worry if I looked at her word and it meant nothing to me. Although 5 minutes after I have done it I have forgotten it.

I keep a basic diary and if I look back at last week's entry, it is all familiar and I can picture the things I did. Again if I couldn't I would worry....or maybe I wouldn't.

It took me 30 minutes to remember the word perish yesterday. And in my mind I could see all the things that perish. Hot water bottles, old fashioned swimming hats, rubber bands. I did keep saying a word that was similar to perish....but of course I can't remember that word now!! I am far too slow for University Challenge etc these days.

This thread has been a comfort. I am almost 76.

I have it roo very bad and im.not yet 60. I believe its brain damage and thats sad..