Tcamiga raises a good question about a terrible affliction.....Dementia.
I was the care giver for my Mom in her last years and she suffered from extreme dementia in the last two years of her life.
Probably the saddest day of my life was when in a moment of clarity she told me she was losing her cognitive abilities and knew there was nothing she could do about....and that was fairly early on in the process.
She lived to be 97 years old which can attest to her physical condition but the serious Dementia was evident for about ten years.....those years that were beyond the typical "Old Timers Disease" of short term memory loas.
We all have those moments when we walk into a room and wonder why we did.....to then remember and attend to our business..
I am 75 and have had my Primary Care Provider do a Cognitive Ability Test on me each year now for the past few years just has a precaution thinking of my Mom's problems.
It it were an IQ, Sanity, Hearing Test I would no doubt fail....but so far I am still able to find my way back home.
If you even remotely suspect you are having problems do not hesitate to talk to your family and friends and ask them if they notice any change in you.
Also, don't fail to ask for your Doctor to do a Cognitive Ability Test on you.
Dementia, Alzheimers, or other mental afflictions are terrible things to see in anyone and the sooner one knows of the problem the better off you are.
The progression usually is fairly slow and there are treatments that help.