The ruling on the prayer of an elderly woman whose mental faculties have changed

Question:
Umm Faraj from the al-Hamidiyyah district says: We have, O Shaykh, an elderly woman who fell ill and her mental faculties changed. For example, she prays the midday and afternoon prayers, but she does not pray in the other times. When we order her to pray, she says that she has already prayed. Our question to the Shaykh is: Will we be held accountable if we leave her in this state? And what is the criterion for such an elderly woman?

Answer:
As long as she does not have understanding, she is not obligated, and there is no prayer required of her except for what her mind is present for. If her mind is present and she prays, her prayer is valid. If her mind is absent and she is unaware of anything, there is no prayer required of her during that period. Yes.