Keen to know if anyone else has experienced this.
My DM (73) has always had weight issues/concerns. Nothing extraordinary just a size 16 but has historically always compared herself to bigger people to make herself feel better.
However now wherever we go there is a running commentary of fat people and the state of them. Doesn't matter if it's a restaurant, on the beach, shopping, or she even just rang me from the car to comment upon the people in the motorway services station.
My response is along the lines of why are you so obsessed with other people that's not very kind etc and she then loses it at me.
Other examples include;
- running commentary on how people are sat in a restaurant
- running commentary on my own children's table manners
- running commentary on a group of women in front of us on the beach - clearly quite middle class and on maternity leave and having a great day out but "look no wedding rings, I'm paying for those single mothers to sit on the beach all day"
I'm at a loss as to what to say and find myself avoiding her which is hard as we are close. I feel guilty even asking for advice here. In other ways she is very kind and would do anything for anyone.
Is this normal? I had one Nan who was a bit like this but who had a very insular life so to a degree I could understand all she had to do was observe others. DM does not have an insular life, is always busy, sociable, plenty of money, why be so bothered about these things?
My other nan though (her mother) did have dementia though. And I wonder if this is a pre cursor to that? There are potentially other signs but I don't know if this is one? Has anyone else experienced this?
I know it's inappropriate behaviour, I know it's nasty so no need to comment on that, I'm just keen to know if this is common with age or dementia linked? Thanks