<p>I don’t think yalemom is necessarily off base with her comments. One of my mom’s signs of dementia was loss of her sense of humor. The signs were slow to develop, and they were relatively subtle at first. It crept up on us. It wasn’t Alzheimers, and it was not something easy to identify. Her executive function was compromised. The point is not to jump to conclusions, but do be aware of the subtle changes. I suggest keeping a journal of things you notice- it may come in handy.</p>
<p>My folks are in their 80s. Dad has started losing his cell phone and forgetting things he recently learned, like calendaring his iPhone, but he’s still very sharp. He’s disappointed that mom is NOT interested in keeping up with cell phones and the iPad that dad and he got & were playing around with. I count my blessings that they are still able to live in their own home and don’t need much help (other than their swimming pool breeding nasty things, but no one uses it). We are hoping that they will remain independent and self-sufficient for a very long time, as Dad’s uncle died at 107, so dad has a few more decades. We are fortunate that all of us live less than an hour’s drive from them and generally see them several times/week, or at the very minimum several times/month.</p>
<p>Dad’s temper gets short when he doesn’t know directions of where we’re going and they let us drive them to unfamiliar places at night. We are glad he no longer fights to drive at night, especially far and at unusual places.</p>
<p>For years my Dad denied his hearing decline. He mostly blame issues on people mumbling (partially true). His revelation came when he was sitting at a group dinner between two friends conversing… and they were laughing at jokes he was not hearing.</p>
<p>If the only hearing-related sign is she likes the tv and radio louder than you do and no one else complains they have to repeat, etc, hearing loss wouldn’t be my first guess. </p>
<p>If she doesn’t appreciate the humor as much, I’d be wondering if something is making her a little sad. That’s where I’d go first. Some nice time together, to get her to open up. Subtle, not a barrage of questions. </p>
<p>My MIL didn’t lose her sense of humor, just got sillier.</p>
<p>Have you thought of depression? I totally agree with hearing tests. Also, even if it is possibly early dementia - depression would be a rule out. In the elderly, depression can present very differently than one would think.</p>
<p>Wow! Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful replies. You’ve given me a lot to think about and I appreciate your help.</p>