Sporadic memory loss and time confusion: normal aging?

My father is 64 years old and very intelligent. Lately he's been getting forgetful about some things - that he left water to boil, to pay his rent on time. Most of the incidents seem to be related to time distortion: He thinks he talked with me a few weeks ago when it was just this morning, that an hour has passed when it has been ten hours.

Others are things like not remembering the names of stores he's visited, minor mix-ups with following a map, not remembering that he used to make a certain dish for us when we were kids. He always remembers people and isn't confused about what day it is and he's not paranoid or anything, but his more frequent memory loss is bothering him. The things I've mentioned are very out of character for him.

Do we need to worry, or is this normal aging? I should mention that his mother had similar behaviors, but no diagnoses of Alzheimer's. He does seem worse than my 75 year-old friends, though.

Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you.

This is NOT normal aging. Get him to the doctor for an exam soon to find out what is going on. Just to let you know forgetfulness and time confusion are NEVER a normal part of aging. If you notice it on anyone it should be addressed by the doctor.

Your father should see a doctor immediately. His symptoms can be anything from stress to stroke to blood clot to Alzheimers. He is way too young for this to be "normal aging," but I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.

Don't try to diagnose yourself. Convince him to see his dr. If you can't convince him, Call the dr. yourself and explain your concerns. I'm sure they would want to test him. Time distortion is not a normal aging symptom. And 64 isn't really that old.

For your own peace of mind you should get him to a doctor to get checked out. It might be a tumor, but that is very rare. A more likely cause is restricted blood flow to the brain by a partially clogged artery.

alzheimer's