My dad confronted me about an incident in which I got angry with him and said some pretty terrible things (miles outside my character and our experiences) I was pretty floored as he seemed perfectly convinced it happened. I felt pretty awful, one, because he was upset and two, because it didn't happen. I apologized to smooth things over.
He is almost 80 and has a bit of trouble with recall (names mainly and incidental details) I haven't seen anything like this though. Is this kind of thing normal, what should my concerns be? Any advice or insight would be appreciated.
Best of luck; I hope you can sort the situation out!
If it turns out that he's having delusions, you may need to ensure that he's getting help he needs inside the home and with his finances. Except in early stages of dementia, it's risky for people to live alone. We have a family friend who believed that he had children jumping on his bed, making loud noises and it frightened him. He ran into the street, fell, fractured hip and never recovered. So, the fear that comes with delusions and/or hallucinations can be dangerous.
You did right not to argue with him. It wouldn't matter and he would not be convinced he was wrong. It's best to appease and comfort. But, I would figure out why he's experiencing this.