Anonymous wrote:my MIL was wearing a sweater in 88 degree heat and complaining of cold. She had our family with small children sleep in a room that was in the mid 90s. I spent the night fanning my kids and wondering if I should take them out to the car and run the AC all night. That was the only night we stayed there. It was always a hotel after that.
A few years later she was diagnosed with moderate dementia. I wondered if it might be a reason for her strange behavior earlier.
It absolutely is. OP's MIL exhibits all the mental rigidity and hyperanxiety around changes to her routine that are typical of people with dementia. The heat thing is concerning, because the elderly don't feel thirst, so she could get dehydrated quickly if she doesn't feel heat either and overheats. Dehydration is a common cause of UTIs in the elderly, and also leads to falls, mental confusion, etc...