Ball Carter

08/07/2024 · Middle School

- Patty is a 75 year old woman who has been forgetful for the last several years. - Her husband (of 45 years) notes that she has been dramatically less engaged for the last 6 months or so: she doesn't join into conversations much and when she does she asks for information to be repeated frequently. He reports that she is reluctant to socialize even with very clo friends as she is so worried about forgetting or seeming impaired. - She has been having increased difficulty with daily living tasks that she has always handled such as doing laundry and taking care of the cat. Her husband recently found the laundry soap in the refrigerator, and found the cat food placed in the litter box. - She has also missed paying a few bills that she has happily taken responsibility for during their marriage. - The primary reason for the appointment was that she had recently gotten lost when driving home from the grocery store (they live in a small town --- the grocery is approximately 4 turns from her house and she has lived in this house for the last 40 years). She drove in circles and finally pulled over and just waited for help. She happened to be parked directly across from the turn that lead to her house at the end of the street. During the visit, she took the Boston Naming Test and performed significantly more poorly than expected. She shows no signs of aphasia-like difficulties in normal conversation, but she does report difficulty finding the right word sometimes (e.g., referring to a pilot as the "airplane driver")