doddering

Etymology

adj

1. mentally or physically infirm due to old age; senile
   She treats him not as a doddering old fool but as a man hampered in his movements by injury. 2005, J. M. Coetzee, “Four”, in Slow Man, New York: Viking, page 28
   That’s the question at the heart of [Donald Trump's] re-election bid, because his strategy isn’t really “law and order” or racism or a demonization of liberals as monument-phobic wackadoodles or a diminution of Joe Biden as a doddering wreck. July 25, 2020, Frank Bruni, “Donald Trump Is the Best Ever President in the History of the Cosmos”, in New York Times

verb

1. present participle and gerund of dodder

noun

1. A shaking or trembling movement, as of old age.
   Now that he was next in line to the minister of state security himself, an 82 year old man whose dodderings Fang graciously covered up to save everyone's face, Fang had a huge problem. 2001, Seth Kohn, Escape on the Silk Road, page 7