My mother was laughing when she told me about the mix up.

I laughed too, enjoying not only the story, but also the sound of her willingness to make fun of herself. She had just experienced one of the culprits of aging: a bout of forgetfulness.

Here is what happened. My Mom had scheduled appointments for three caregivers to visit her home, ordered by doctors after a recent visit to the hospital. At noon, the doorbell rang and it was the physical therapist. You’re too early, my Mom said, expecting to see someone else.

 But she wasn’t. My Mom had forgotten that she had scheduled that time with the physical therapist, and, she realized, the home health aide. She called the aide, asking her to come a few hours later. That rescheduling meant the aide would bump into the nurse, so she set another time for her in the late afternoon.

Oh, I’m not going to let that happen again, Mom said, telling me her new strategy. From that day on, each of the caregivers would have to write down their scheduled appointments on a calendar, lying on the kitchen table where my Mom wouldn’t overlook it.

I thought about the times I forget where I put my car keys or an important document I’m trying to keep from losing. I don’t always laugh about it. But here was my Mom, chuckling about a bit of confusion created by her forgetfulness.

When I talked to her today, she knew the schedules; each of the caregivers is now coming on a different day.

How are your parents handling bouts of forgetfulness?

Related posts:

1. Health care reform 101, continued