I am caring for an 83 yr. old woman with dementia and she has started talking to objects. Is this normal?

This is not at all unusual for someone with dementia. Not every type of dementia is the same, but people with Alzheimer's may show this type of symptom. Her family should alert her doctor to this behavior if this is new, just in case she has an infection or something that should be treated. However, likely you'll be told to distract her and not argue with her about what she sees.

This behavior indicates that she could be at increased risk of slipping out the door to look for something or someone, so please be very alert so that she doesn't wander away.

As to her stage, she's likely in one of the advanced stages, though the behavior can move back and forth.
Take care,
Carol

ummmm ... maybe I shouldn't admit this publicly, but I talk out loud to the refrigerator, the computer, the microwave, my gps device, and a teddy bear. Once I got a very strange look from a nearby customer as I talked to my grocery list. I looked up, smiled, and told him to pretend I was on my cell phone. He burst out laughing. So I sometimes talk to inanimate objects and I don't have dementia. My husband and my mother both had/have dementia and neither ever talks to inanimate objects. Go figure. I know that isn't unusual in dementia, though.

My husband did wander around the house sometimes opening closet doors, rifling through stacks of junk mail that I planned to sort through "later", and poking his head in every room. When asked if he was looking for something or if I could help him he said, "I'm just trying to see what's what." I came to know these were periods of disorientation as to place and he was trying to reorient himself. No harm done.

So I'd say, yes these behaviors are normal within dementia (and sometimes even without dementia). But it also possible that they are caused by something like a uti. Especially if she hasn't been hallucinating before and this has come on suddenly I would have that possibility checked out. In any case, as Nancy advises, her doctor should be informed of this change in behavior.

Good luck, and keep us updated. We learn from each other!

First thing I'd want to know, when was the last time she went to her doctor? They need to know what's going on, to see if there's some sort of medication that help with this. It sounds like hallucinations of some sort, and the doctor needs a heads up about it.

Yes my Mom does the same thing. I did take her a few weeks ago to her Doctors they head up the Geriatric Assessment Program in my area. They have her scheduled to have a new test its a PET scan but the difference is a new drug that just came out in March that can give them a lot of what is going on in her brain and even rule out Alzheimer's. So far the drug is so new we were not able to have the test yet.
Again my Mom's has a lot of delusions and has for the last year but not all the time.
Diane