Does my mum sound ok, is this normal for 72?

I did this in my 50s and dislocated and broke my shoulder.
I have traveled a lot recently but do find airports stressful. I don’t think it’s an age problem.

This was similar to someone I knew and it turned out to be Parkinson's. I'm not saying that's the case with your mum but she's definitely best seeing a doctor.

My mum was like this. Always very independent and then all of a sudden was forgetting things and she had a couple of falls. She had very aggressive stage 4 cancer and died 3 months later. Of course I’m not saying that is what’s happening here but please get any worries checked. I wish I had insisted my mum did and she may still have been here x

No, it's not normal for someone of 72. I am about to go out for lunch with a 71 and a 72 year old, the older one has far more energy than I have (at 65), and loves travelling. The younger one has just returned from an overseas trip. My mid-70s neighbours still work fulltime in physical work.

I don't find people suddenly get "old" when they hit 70, in fact it's more like 85 in my experience. Yes, people can start to suffer from various illnesses but most people I know still behave the same as they always did. My 80 year old neighbour goes out for long walks with me, and she is definitely fitter than me (and I walk everywhere!). My 84 year old ex MIL recently painted her kitchen. Falling can happen to everyone, but people generally put out their hands to break the fall.

73 year old here, tbh OP all this sounds pretty normal to me. Once you get to 70 there is definitely a (hopefully) slow decline in physical and mental abilities.
Housework becomes harder because of arthritic hands, painful knees. Travelling becomes harder because suitcases are heavy, loo stops are needed more, journeys are tiring. This week I’ve banged my arm on the car door and bruised my hand when the wind blew a door shut. Tripping over a root is easily done and ‘having a fall’. If you saw me IRL you’d be surprised- I wear Zara and ankle boots and I’m brunette (thanks to my lovely hairdresser). But there’s no stopping the aging process really.

How old are you, OP? Because there will be as many differences between you and all the other people of your age in the world and your mother and all the other 72 year olds in the world. Asking here will get you nowhere. If you are worried, try and persuade her to see a doctor but please remember she's 72, not a child. It isn't your place to "get her checked out" as a PP put it. Tell her you're concerned, by all means, but the decision to see a doctor is hers to make. And, sometimes, tripping over a tree root is just that.

Try not to worry. It usually for these things to happen increasingly as people age including my own mum. Have a look at falls on google.

I think one trip is nothing I would be going to the GP about but multiple trips in 6th months I would.

my mum had similar and it turned out to be cataracts. It was very odd as it didn’t add up the symptoms and the diagnosis but annoyed test wouldn’t hurt. They progressed rapidly (posterior) and when she had them removed her symptoms (falls, anxiety, reluctance to travel) went away too.

My dad lost confidence and was anxious about things that had never bothered him before like driving and packing for trips before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s so I’d get her checked out neurologically

Absolutely do everything you can to make sure your Mum gets tested for dementia and anything else it might be. If it turns out not to be anything, then at least you have the relief in that (and notes on the GPs records). My mother was diagnosed with dementia several years ago at about 70 and we had suspected it for a long time before but she had refused to have any checks.
People find ways to cover symptoms and end up pushing a diagnosis too late. It’s a horrible and cruel disease and a dreadful diagnosis, but there are things that can be done to slow it and - very importantly- aids to coping which can be marvellous and things that can be put in place to help. But left too late and using the aids becomes too much to learn and the support becomes scary to the person. It’s also worth looking in to options for the future now so that the burden isn’t too, too, much later.
Do all you can to help your Mum agree to any and every test. And look after yourself too.
There are some brilliant support networks and charities out there and use them if you can for advice and support.
It is a horrid thing when you start to realise that those that used to do all the looking after us - still do - now need us to do it for them. A tough time, and hopefully it will be nothing awful. But tests are essential and as soon as possible. Sending you and your Mum my very best.

Get it checked out. My mum had cognitive decline and anxiety that has concerned me for 7 or 8 years, but unfortunately noone else in the family would admit there was anything different so I couldn't push for it. Recently she has been diagnosed with Parkinson's.

One of the earliest signs of dementia for my mum was not doing the housework when she had always been very houseproud. It could be nothing but worth checking.

Ring your mum's GP and ask if they have an elderly care team. My mum has had a couple of visits from them and they were great. They can do a memory test- it's short and informal but very telling. My mum was bright as a button until 75. She then started saying/doing thing that were a bit odd/off. She still has days where she is bang on but also days where she doesn't know what day of the week it is- eg she thought today was Tuesday as it was BH Monday yesterday. No mum that's next week! It's distressing for her- she knows she is doing it.
It's very hard to witness- I've had to ban my mum from driving until 'she is better' She is 81 do she will never drive again but I'm letting her hope still and her car is on the drive still.

In my experience of elderly relatives 70 is the sad number when people start to turn old

You are describing me and I am classed as a young person - I feel like the description is of me. And that makes me worried
but if she didn’t used to be like this I don’t know what to say

The memory stuff is so interesting as different skills reduce at different speeds.
Short term memory and flexibility go first. My husband really struggles with the "Name as many things beginning with F" part of a memory assessment but can still drill down deep into a complaint under the Equalities Act or the history of Ephesus if he has the time to think about it at his own speed.

I developed anxiety when travelling after my husband died. I'm only 64.

Definitely get checked out. It sounds very similar to the start of my mums dementia.

My husband has small blood vessel deterioration in the brain. We noticed some years ago that he was falling and losing balance. His brain finds it harder to do stuff that was once automatic and one of those things we do automatically is stay upright.

My gran was travelling independently between her home city and London into her 80s. Then she went to Cardiff for the weekend which was a new route and needed her to change trains. She became really anxious when she was changing trains in Birmingham (although still did the journey independently) and said that that was the end of travelling for her. She never went intercity again, even on routes she knew well.

People do become more anxious with age. The stakes are higher and we know that we're not invincible. There's a reason that Saga Holidays exists.

It could be nothing but I agree she should get checked out.

The anxiety stuff sounds fairly normal - my dad is mid-70s and now only drives locally because anywhere further afield makes him anxious and he finds it daunting. My Grandad was the same and gave up driving at around the same age.

Over what?

Time keeping, navigating the route? Getting from platform to platform at a station?

My Mum is 78 and has become increasingly anxious and less steady on her feet in the last few years. She used to be so independent (long divorced) travelled everywhere by train, sharp as a tack, always busy.
Now the trains make her very anxious, she's much more tired and she walks carefully. I have also worried that she might be starting to lose cognitive skills as her memory is selective but she still beats me at scrabble so who knows?

It could be a lot of things, or "just" normal age-related deterioration. People sharing their nightmare experiences with you on here (I have one!) will not be helpful, the GP could be.

My mum is 81 and doesn't like travelling, but that is relatively normal for her as she was never into it. However, she hasn't wanted to travel to London (a long day trip for her) for a while now as she thinks it's too much hassle.
Otherwise she is fine and doesn't fall over or get anxious. I would say it's worth a check up.