Nosey elderly parents is embarrassing

[ByUniqueViper]

My 81 year old mum who is of good health and mind has always enjoyed 'people watching' in public places. But she is now becoming obsessed with it.
She looks people up and down, follows them with her eyes as they approach and then walk past her, and even says things like 'you see her over there with the ponytail' and points to them.
Weve just been on holiday and she watches everyone constantly and makes comments to us such as 'she has worn those clothes all day and evening', 'that man put 6 towels on a sunbed 45 minutes ago', 'they're the people who were really drunk last night'.
Lots of people probably notice the same but keep their thoughts to themselves. But she is just so nosey and vocal with it. Its becoming embarrassing.
We have tried ignoring her comments, saying 'oh' as if we have little interest, my husband has make jokey comments about not hearing him as she is so fixated on looking at someone and ive previously really put her in her place when she has said 'she's a big girl.
AIBU to expect her to behave more appropriately or should I accept this is what happens when people get old and have little else to think about?
What else do we do as we're finding her behaviour uncomfortable and annoying?

This. I feel that some people reach retirement age and regress back to being children again with no responsibilities or consequences. It is not directly due to age, it is due to lack of consequences, the fact they are near the end of their life so why care, and the cloak of entitlement known as "awww bless him/her he/she's old".

Yes, it's yet another chapter in the MN "Why I hate old people" book.

I'm saying EXACTLY what I said in my post.

I wouldn’t hush her, but I would not answer her either, the less attention or defending will probably calm her down.

I agree. My late DM was like this from when she was in her late 70s. I frequently had to ask her to keep her voice down (she was rather deaf and didn't realise how loudly she was talking) when she said things like 'That woman looks like she's got a birds nest on her head' or 'Look at the size of her!'.

I’m shocked that none of these nasty ‘observations’ haven’t earned a few ‘go eff yourself!’ retorts. Round here they certainly would but then again I don’t live in some quaint village. Some posters need to warn their parents that one day they might come up against some well-deserved but severe verbal abuse which could be very upsetting for them.

My Grsndmother started this in her 80’s (Dads side). My Mum now does this - she’s in her 80’s

i know several friends parents like it of a similar age

i think it’s common as people age

@Biggles27 started what? Why the small i?

This is probably dementia because they loose their inhibitions. My Grandad would loudly talk about the size of people constantly.

My dad got like this sadly it was the early warning signs of dementia. Please get your mum checked over

I agree, but nobody ever says anything.

We are low contact due to this behaviour.

I appreciate people suggesting beginnings of dementia here but in my case my elderly mother has always been this way. Rude about anyone who did not conform to her social expectations. A sibling came to a point several years ago that she needed a ‘diagnosis’ and then medication. Paid for a private referral and as I and my sis anticipated clean bill of health.

We cannot just decide people with poor behaviours that we suddenly find difficult to deal with all have dementia.

I got a bit spooked when folks said it was the beginning of dementia. But like you I remember my mum doing this for years.

i have an awfully members of my mum tutting loudly at a pregnant woman who was displaying her belly. She said loudly - she thinks that looks nice but it doesn’t: I was horrified. My mum was probably in her late forties at the time.

It’s funny reading this thread, people talking as though they will always have a young brain and never ever have aging brain symptoms.