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[KaraShannon]

Hi all

When I point to something my mother, aged 77, won't follow my finger.  I've noticed it a few times.  I was talking about her towel the other day which was hanging just to my left.  She asked what one and I said that one and pointed.  She remained looking at me and asking which one, was it the red one, or this or that etc.  And I kept saying 'that one!'  and pointing to it a metre away from me.

After too many seconds and me telling her to follow my finger (which she still didn't seem to do properly), she realised I was referring to the one hanging a metre away from me.  The only one. 

In the car I sometimes say 'Oh look at that,' and she just looks out of her side of the window, even if I'm pointing out to my side.  She doesn't look to see where I'm pointing. 

Yes its frustrating, but it seems a bit of a neurological thing possibly?  She always did look in the past. 

She's got glaucoma but it's treated and only very early stage.  Other family members have that and still look where you point.

I asked her yesterday why she wouldn't look where I was pointing, what else could I do I've got my hand up like a lemon, lol (I said it gently) and she said she'd look eventually, that people shouldn't have to jump.  I tried to explain that it's an automatic thing usually but she was having none of it. 

She's not been the easiest person all my life, but this one I think might be related to some health condition.  She's not showing signs of dementia, she's independent totally, though never wants to do a lot but sit and read etc.  But I think she's allowed at 77. 

Any ideas?  I know in autism people often don't point (though not all with autism) and she's never had that diagnosis anyway, but this is different, it's not following where someone is pointing to. 

Understanding it will help me deal with it.  Thanks for any ideas

[KaraShannon]

After this I pointed to a number of things and asked her to tell me what I was pointing to.  I did it gently saying that I wanted to know it was nothing to do with her glaucoma.  She answered all correctly and reiterated that she's not jumping when I point to something!  (I'm not expecting her to but people usually look when you point??  they don't refuse!)

[Penguin]

Has she had an eye test recently? I'm wondering about peripheral vision loss?

[Penguin]

Does she have to turn her head to see or do her eyes actually move?

[KaraShannon]

Does she have to turn her head to see or do her eyes actually move?

thanks Penguin, with this example she only had to look a metre to the left of me which she can do easily, her movements are all normal.

But I think it might be peripheral vision loss, maybe she didn't see me point.  But normally if you are saying 'over there' people would look to see you point and if they couldn't see they'd say.  And when I tested it afterwards she got them all right.

I think there might be something though as it seems its an effort for her and she'd rather have a verbal description of what you are talking about than following you pointing.  So perhaps it's vision, she can do it, but it's too much of an effort maybe and she doesn't realise that.

She does seem to be becoming more and more 'verbal' though, talking all the time, if we go for a drive it's like I have to prompt her to look at the view otherwise she'll just look straight ahead.  So visual stuff might no longer be as strong perhaps

[KaraShannon]

She's hard of hearing so it might be that she's spending so much effort on trying to hear you that she hasn't got capacity to look away at what you're pointing at.

I think I might have answered my own question because if you point to something on the tv but are talking about it, she continues staring at you to hear what you are saying, so she's lip reading. 

Maybe time for the hearing aids to be reassessed.

[Penguin]

And I'm guessing she doesn't have any neck pain or tightness that would make it difficult or painful to turn her head? I'd defo do a visit to opticians though as well, they can pick a lot of things up.

[CLKD]

'over there' is not clear enough, I often say that to my DH and he simply does't react! 

When travelling we say 'on the L/R' ....... she may as she ages need more clues !  Or 'my side ...... '.  More interaction around the house might encourage your Mum to take more of an interest.