Week 5: What are the early warning signs of dementia?

The following is based on the Alzheimer’s Association “Ten Early Signs of Alzheimer's disease”. For more details, please refer to the Alzheimer’s Association:

www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

1. Memory Loss

One of the most common signs is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Patients may forget important dates or events. They may ask for the same information repeatedly. They need to rely on memory aids or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

2. Difficulties in Planning or Solving Problems

Some people may experience difficulty in developing and following a plan or working with numbers. They cannot keep track of personal bills. They take much longer time to do things than they did before.

3. Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks

Patients often find it hard to complete daily tasks, for example, trouble driving to work, managing their own budget, or remembering the rules of a routine assignment.

4. Confusion with Time or Place

People can lose track of dates, seasons and time. They may forget where they are or how they got there.

5. Trouble Understanding Visual Images and Spatial Relationships

Having trouble interpreting what they see visually, even with normal vision, is common in some patients. Others may have difficulty reading, judging distance, and determining color or contrast, and driving.

6. New Problems with Words in Speaking or Writing

Patients may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have difficulty how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may have challenges with vocabulary, finding the right word, or using the wrong word to describe common objects.

7. Misplacing Things & Losing the Ability to Retrace Steps

Patients may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. 

8. Decreased or Poor Judgment

Patients may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. They may use poor judgment when dealing with money, less attention to keeping themselves clean, or saying rude or inappropriate things in public. 

9. Withdrawal from Work or Social Activities

Patients may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects, or sports. They may also avoid socializing even with friends and family. 

10. Changes in Mood and Personality

Patients can become irritable, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious. They may be easily upset at home or at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.