[F32Fleet]

Life is a bitch. The 70's seem to be an inflection point for people with regards to mental faculties. We all experience different rates of decline.

My stepfather (80) developed Parkinson's and has been in a nursing home for 3 years because his condition and size require 24/7 care. He started exhibiting mental decline in his early 60's. By 72 or so he what I call "lost your filter", professionals probably call it losing empathy. He would occasionally lash out verbally at people for no reason and say truly horrible things. He would also get lost while driving, would hit cars in parking lots (left the scene once afterwhich my mother pulled his license). Moving into a home broke him because he really expected to die of a heart attack. He's unable to understand why he's there.

My view is that this is just life and just try to roll with issues as they arise. It's sad and can be very hard to watch the decline of our parents but we will all be there eventually. Just cherish the time you have and retain your sense of humor.