Kay Granger is residing in assisted-living facility, her son tells Dallas publication

The son of Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) confirmed that his mother has “dementia issues” that have kept her away from Congress in recent months, the Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.

“It’s been a hard year,” Brandon Granger, 52, was quoted as saying by the newspaper. He also said she was living in Traditions Senior Living in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kay Granger, 81, had been the chair of the House Appropriations Committee until stepping down from that position in April, making her absence particularly noticeable during the recent negotiations over legislation designed to avert a government shutdown.