Hello @bethv

I have been thinking about you and your father's symptoms as well. How is your dad feeling these days?

In a recent post a moderator was addressing the diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia and I noticed that the "staring-off" episodes as well as Parkinson's-like symptoms are closely related to Lewy Body Dementia. Here is a link to an article about this disorder. It might be helpful to read this article and then talk to you dad's neurologist about any symptoms that your dad has that might be similar.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lewy-body-dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352025
I look forward to hearing from you again and knowing how your dad is doing.