Is it normal aging or is it PD? Be sure to discuss any changes you observe with your PwP’s medical team because sometimes it is difficult to know the difference. My husband’s memory is tested regularly as part of research projects or at his check-ups. He does struggle with one or two of the tasks and there are signs of mild cognitive decline. When I sit in the room with him during the testing, I find myself wondering how well I could do counting backwards by 7s from 100? He is still able to pay bills and balance the checkbook, perhaps better than I am, do I need to worry that he may be slipping into dementia thanks to his Parkinson’s?

Yes, he has PD but it is important to remember that he is also getting older. He will have aches and pains that have nothing to do with his diagnosis. Additionally, he will have some memory loss and potential cognitive decline because it happens to us all when we age, that doesn’t mean I should panic nor should I ignore those things when they do happen.

It won’t always be about Parkinson’s but his medical team needs to know whenever I see changes happening. If I bring these things up at his appointments, we can discuss whether they are PD related or not as they try to accurately treat the progression of his illness. And, perhaps more importantly, we can all be on the same page as we move forward.