Bob has seemed more confused recently, his wife, Sandra, my 77-year-old psychotherapy client, tells me.
There are days he cant seem to remember anything.
She had expressed similar worries several times in recent months, and we had speculated what hisforgetfulnessmight mean.
Today I ask her gently, Have you given any more thought to having his thinking skills tested?
It would hurt them both, I am sure.
She is afraid the diagnosis would make him give up on himself.
Even the thought of asking him to undergo aneurological or neuropsychological evaluationtriggers her guilty feelings.
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Her instinct is to protect Bob, not confront him.
Yet she still worries.
Spouses and adult children have always struggled to know what to do in these situations.
Or should they avoid noticing increasingly frequent senior moments?
That would risk ignoring a brewing family crisis.
Putting off diagnostic testing thereby delaying the start of treatment could reduce their ultimate benefit.
