I've seen her doing this before, just not as pronounced as it is now.
She does this constantly.
I've had elderly relatives whose decline also started with the constant lip-smacking.
They didn't last long after that started, their deterioration both physically and mentally was rapid.
Frontotemporal dementia:
This type of dementia can sometimes present with compulsive behaviors like lip smacking due to the affected brain regions involved in behavior regulation.
I've seen her doing this before, just not as pronounced as it is now. She does this constantly.
I've had elderly relatives whose decline also started with the constant lip-smacking.
They didn't last long after that started, their deterioration both physically and mentally was rapid.
I remember her seeming to suck on hard candy in the past
You are most likely correct. I found the kind she likes so much.