My first move would be to gently remove all the brown curly leaves. If they don't come off easily, leave them be. Once the dead leaves are gone you can see what you have more easily. Remove any flowers and buds.

Then I'd cut all the stems arising from the centre of the plant back to just above a node about 2 inches from the soil. Then I'd repot the cut back plant into a free draining mix. Trim back straggly roots too.

From the pieces I had cut off I would make cuttings i.e. sections about 3 - 4 inches long with at least one node. These can be left out on a counter or table for two or three days for the ends of the stems to callous over. This helps prevent them rotting. Then they can be inserted into more free draining mix, watered lightly and left to root.

This might sound drastic but it's what I do every spring with Pelargoniums and is standard procedure.

Once they are growing you might even be able to take a couple of the new babies in to your grandmother-in-law if she is still able to appreciate plants. Even the smell of the leaves might mean something to her.

Since you're in the central valley of California you could keep the plants outside most of the year, I imagine. They love sun and are not the greatest house plants if you can't provide a lot of light. You are also less likely to get aphids outside due to the wind.

Thank you for taking time to reply! What you described is mostly what I was planning to do but thought it would be best to get back-up advice from experts here.

I doubt the plants has had any attention except water for many years.

Could you suggest a "free draining mix?" The pot is heavy, so I suspect it has had plenty of water and will welcome a lighter mix. Any opinion about the cactus/palm mix?

Will definitely try to root cuttings. Seems like they need to be treated like succulent cuttings.

Again, thank you.

Look forward to your results .... so please report ... with pics.

Here it is. What would happen if I chopped off that long one? I like a bushier plant.

It looks much better already :-) 'That long one' is entirely a flower stem. If you cut it off you lose the flower cluster at the end and it will not branch out. Or did you mean the branch coming out on the left? That isn't a flower stem and could be cut back to a node.

The pot does have a drain hole, doesn't it?

Yes, I meant the one on the left, reaching out. I will cut it back, maybe by half. The pot has a drain hole. It's a happier plant now! Thank you, Floral.

What kind of potting soil did you end up using??

the cactus mix I had on hand It contains peat.

How much sun does yur plant get? How often do u water ?

About 6 hrs a day, maybe a little less. Temps are 70s mostly. Water about once a week depending on weather.

Thanks ... My moms geraniums which I hung on the liaise garage door ... They get about six hrs of sun till noon. Then they are shaded the rest of the day. It gets hot in the summer so I think they will do fine.

I really don't know if 6 hours is adequate, but for now it seems ok. Your hanging baskets will have to be watched carefully for drying out. Late sun can be brutal.

Check this link on how to overwinter your geranium at the end of the season. I did this very thing with my plant and in March I took it out of the box, planted it and it is growing very well with two buds already showing. I live in California zone 9 where it gets very hot in the summer.

http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/08/a-step-by-step-guide-to-overwintering-geraniums/

Thank you for sharing that link. I'm in 10a. Your winter lows are lower than in my zone.

Cut it back quite hard leaving stubs and repot. Put somewhere sheltered with minimum water until new growth appears

Socks (10a), I would love to see how Gramma's plant is doing. This post gave nice information, and the back story is so sweet. If and when time permits, I am watching in case you repost. Happy 4th weekend!

Oh, Laurie, thank you for asking! It got better, then some caterpillars attacked, eating holes in every leaf. I did not know it was caterpillars, thought it was a flying insect. I finally found and dispatched the cats, but the plant was a wreck. Adding insult to injury, we had a 106 degree day. Amazingly, even sitting in full sun all day, it did not burn. Tough plant! I think I'll give it a shot of fertilizer today as it recovers.

Do you grow geraniums?

Oh, no. In honesty, I think the shape the caterpillars pruned your plant to will make a lovely plant when it grows back out. The plants from friends and especially grammas are the biggest treasures.

Geraniums are growing around my front door, purchased for $1.00 on clearance. They are finally starting to grow a bit, but nothing to show off. I am getting back to the plant hobby after years of being away from it, so I cannot really say I grow anything with expertise that is not from 10 years ago. That is how long I went not growing. I use to have a jungle inside and out. Thanks to this forum and friends giving me a couple of plants as gifts, I find myself loving watching anything grow again, and it has been so cathartic and rewarding.

Thanks for the update. Your plant still has tons of life in her. Happy 4th.

Thank you for the sweet reply. Yes, gardening is very satisfying and a way to touch nature. Hope you are having a good holiday.

Theyre very tough plants from a hot climate (Africa). It looks like it will do fine. Dont feed till it is actively growing again.

Been growing Pels on and off since I was a boy.

Cakbu I dont understand the need to overwinter Pels. I understand that they can't take a winter outdoors-they are amongst the first to suffer from frost, but for me they are house plants, and just sit happily growing all year round in my home. Sometimes I will have spare plants from cuttings and they will planted out for summer bedding. But my indoor Pels are with me all year. I usually cut them back hard at that time and watch them grow back.