My mum (late 60) could be described as somewhat vulnerable and not particularly sharp. Not sure whether it's early onset dementia or similar (she refuses to entertain any suggestion of this), but she gets absolutely fixated on the most unimportant and trivial nonsense. My siblings have noticed the same. I've recently had to tell her to stop phoning late at night or crack of dawn unless it's something urgent/important. Calls all the time when I'm at work (again, nothing ever important or urgent). Goes on and on constantly about so-and-so's birthday (usually someone I barely know or see) for months leading up to it! I politely send care and presents to family friends but my mum talks non-stop about "it's so-and-so's birthday in X number of weeks"... Like I've got nothing else to think about. I'm busy with a FT stressful job, kids, house etc. I frankly don't want to hear about Janice's birthday for a 6 whole months leading up to it! Especially when Janice is someone I've only met a small handful of times in my entire life.
Now, on to the more concerning thing. My mum used to be very well-travelled, open-minded and intelligent. Travelled to all corners of the world when younger, lots of travel experience of different cultures, religions and ways of life etc.
A few years ago, her husband decided that they'll start watching GB News as their main source of "news". Since then, I've noticed my mum becoming totally eroded, there's pretty much nothing left of her. Nothing left in terms of analytical thinking skills, ability to detect far-right racist/anti-Muslim propaganda. She takes everything that her husband says as gospel... Like with the Southport attacker who killed the 3 girls... "Jim (not husband's real name) said the attacker is a Muslim who stepped of a boat 2 weeks ago on UK shores"... Complete and utterly false. Asked where she got this information, she said "Jim told me"... This is just one example. She became fixated with the belief that Kyle Clifford (the crossbow killer) was actually "Moroccan" (because told her he is, he'd read it somewhere).
When I'm in their house, I've noticed that Jim feels the needs to do running commentaries on anything on TV that features people who either aren't white or Christian... Latest was about bombing Gaza. Feels the like to make ridiculous, pig-ignorant and downright offensive comments all the way through. I'm the only one who has the integrity to call him out on it. I recently took Jim aside and said whilst I respect his right to different opinions, I don't want my kids hearing his vile tirades. Mum just sits in silence, knawing her fingers and looking totally vacant and unresponsive. Will stay silence to "keep the peace" rather than call him out on his racist bullsh**.
I'm worried that my mum is rotting away in front of my eyes. I've trying speaking to her separately but she's too far gone... She's convinced that "Muslims are taking over..." Similar stuff to what was said about Jews by the nazis.