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Wondering if your parent really has Alzheimer's? Talk to as many different people who know her as you can -- neighbors, club friends, her dentist, church members -- to ask if they've noticed any signs. This can be especially enlightening if you live out of town. Most friends are glad, possibly even relieved, to share what they know, so don't worry that you're being intrusive.
In my own experience, hearing friends and family confirm the behaviors I noticed with my loved one provided both relief and stress. There was relief because I thought I was going crazy. There was stress because now I knew we really had an issue to be dealt with. Regardless, feedback from friends and family provided me with tons of information we were able to share with my family member's physician. It was very helpful.