A family member has Alzheimers, at a stage where she is still very physically healthy and ambulatory, but memory is fading fast (starting to forget those close to her now).  She was recently admitted to a long term care facility due to wandering and other serious safety concerns.

She was eastern european/lutheran, but her son converted to <novus ordo> Catholicsm about 13 years ago - within 2 years after conversion he found a traditional Catholic parish.  He is now a very faithful Catholic.   For reference, his mother was hostile to the Church, but now that is moot.  She remembers nothing of that.

Thoughts:
Would dementia qualify as a kind of "outside the age of reason" condition and the person can be brought into the Faith?
She is like a child now, and her son has POA for her health and financial affairs.  I like to hope/pray that it's possible he could have a sort of spiritual POA for her salvation.    :smile:

The son lives quite a distance away, moving back soon and will be discussing this with a local SSPX parish priest.  In the meantime, I am soliciting the feedback of knowledgeable and wise souls on this forum.

If you do everything you can think of to encourage someone's conversion, you can rest assured that the Blessed Virgin Mary won't be outdone in that kind of generosity, and you can leave the actual conversions to her.  

My Lutheran mother has dementia.  I've taught her to make the Sign of the Cross, and we always pray before and after meals together.  I planted a green scapular in the TV room, and gave both parents Miraculous Medals, and my mother some holy water.  We've prayed the rosary together, but now she just listens to me pray it while she falls asleep.  But she asks me if we could pray the rosary together.  I pray several times a day that both parents will be given a holy and provided-for death.      

I've tried to teach her the Apostles' Creed and get her to repeat it after me, a few words at a time.  The phrase 'I believe in ... the holy Catholic church' used to make her wince (!) but not anymore.  I've also noticed that she's reacting in a more Catholic way to what she sees and hears on TV.  She gets upset when things like contraception are promoted.  So, despite her dementia and her heresy, she seems to be acquiring a sensus catholicus.  

Something that seems to be enjoyable for Alzheimer's patients is to
read to them poetry.  Especially when they have memorized certain
poems during their lifetimes, it is beneficial to find out if any of their
favorite poems are Catholic or Catholic-friendly.  

I knew such a patient who had memorized the Hound of Heaven and
took consolation from hearing it read aloud.  Also, the Scriptures in
Latin, for those who had a formation in the novitiate or seminary.
De Profundis or the Magnificat, the Nunc Dimitis or any of the Psalms.

Then you have spiritual reading such as The Secret of the Rosary by
St. Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort.  That's always a favorite because
of its inspirational and simple stories.  Many of them are very short.

The writings of Fr. Leonard Feeney are very enjoyable to hear read
aloud.  He had a great gift for writing, and there was a time when his
works were held in very high esteem by scholastics worldwide, that
is, until his practical banishment in the late 40's due to his tenacious
defense of EENS, which the world's bishops were trying to get RID
of leading up to Vatican II.  Not a few elderly people sit on their
front porches reading Bread of Life over and over.  When you have
Alzheimer's you get the joy of reading the same book again for the
first time!  

If they want something more deep and serious, get them a copy of
St. Alphonsus de Liguori's Preparation for Death.  They will not be
disappointed!  And if you read it TO them, neither will you.  When
you find that you are no longer able to read it or cannot finish it
because you don't want to pick it up again, that ought to tell you
something about yourself and your own readiness to meet your
maker!