Unusual encounter....(dog&sheep)

[Catherine]

That's right. you said your mother developed dementia.
There probably were earlier symptoms, but because your mother had such an active and alert mind they were not noticeable. The more active the mind is, the more it can compensate.

I did not know that Terry Pratchett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. One of our North American folk/country singers has just withdrawn from public life because of Alzheimer's.
I hope the publicity helps, but people resist the idea of even considering dementia/Alzheimer's. There are medical things that can be done to help.

Not recognizing the signs is the most common response. I work with so many people who have some level of problem so I have learned to assess things. Dementias present themselves in so many different ways. I hope one day we find that dogs can warn us of brain changes. That would really help.

Since each person is different, I let my intuition tell me if there is a problem. There is usually some small disconnect, like your mother not recognizing her sister, while doing a crossword puzzle. Or there is a clearness and memory, but only about past events(usually of a certain time in the past). Or the person is current and intelligent in their conversation and can remember the past, but they cannot learn simple new tasks, like a new coffee maker.

It would be useful if we could identify early, categorize what areas are being effected and plan the future accordingly. I think a service dog could at least keep a person from harm. The dog could be trained to get help in an emergency.
Dogs could probably help younger brain damaged adults as well. Of course the person would need to be someone who could trust a dog. You and I could do it. If my sight was going I would want a dog before I was legally blind. That would give me time to adjust.

The best thing to do as we age is simplify things anyhow. Getting rid of junk and keeping meaningful things is a good idea no matter what, but if the brain was in trouble it would only need to deal with things that could trigger strong memories. That would help.

Also it would help to label things so you can remember how to use them and why. At some point the brain has failed too far, but giving it help can delay the decline.
Your mother's willingness to keep her mind active with crosswords etc. probably gave her a lot more good time.
It is very hard to lose someone through Dementia. I lost someone a couple of years back, but in truth the person was gone way before the actual end. I know too much so I just can't do denial.