The Early Signs of Dementia and How to Address Them

 

Introduction

Dementia is a progressive condition that affects the memory and other mental functions, such as thinking, learning and judgment. Dementia may be caused by Alzheimer's disease or another type of chronic illness. To diagnose dementia, doctors must rule out other conditions that could cause similar symptoms, such as thyroid imbalances or vitamin B12 deficiency. Symptoms of dementia include changes in mood and personality; confusion with time or place; decreased or poor judgment; difficulty planning or solving problems; and withdrawal from work or social activities

Challenges in planning or solving problems.

The following are signs that someone may be experiencing early-stage dementia:

·         Challenges in planning or solving problems. For example, they may have difficulty putting together a simple model or puzzle, organizing their thoughts to complete a written task such as writing an email or letter, setting up a schedule for daily activities, and/or keeping track of bills to pay.

·         Difficulty remembering important information. This includes forgetting conversations from just minutes ago or events that happened weeks earlier; misplacing items frequently; forgetting the names of close family members like children and grandchildren (living with them); repeating routine questions over and over again without getting frustrated; having trouble recalling familiar words such as "the" or "and."

·         Trouble concentrating on tasks at hand. This could include becoming easily distracted when listening to directions from others during simple tasks like cooking dinner or driving somewhere new (without GPS). It's also important to note that this is not the same thing as daydreaming!

Confusion with time or place.

A person with dementia may have trouble keeping track of time and dates. They may be confused about what day it is, or they may forget the season. They may also have difficulty remembering where they are or what they've just done.

If you notice that someone with dementia is frequently confused about where they are, consider taking them to a familiar place when you leave the house, such as their old school or workplace. Also make sure that clocks and calendars are clearly visible throughout your home so that your loved one can easily check in on their current location and time frame for reference. If necessary, help teach them how to read a clock face and assist them in identifying events based on predetermined times (e.g., "It's 9AM!").

New problems with words in speaking or writing.

If you notice that your loved one is having difficulty finding the right word, repeating words or sentences, using the wrong word, using non-words (e.g., "thingy"), using the wrong tense (past versus present), or using the wrong verb tense, you should encourage them to seek medical advice.

Similarly, if you notice that your loved one is using pronouns in a confusing way (using “he” when they mean “she” or vice versa) or referring to people who are not present in their conversations—especially if this occurs often—you should encourage them to seek medical advice.

Decreased or poor judgment.

In the early stages of dementia, you may have difficulty making decisions. This may be due to memory loss and deficiencies in reasoning skills. In addition, a person's judgment can be affected by other conditions such as depression or drugs, alcohol and medications.

Withdrawal from work or social activities.

Social withdrawal is a common symptom of dementia. It can be a sign of depression, but it’s also a potential sign of the disease. People with dementia often experience social withdrawal because they have trouble doing the things they used to enjoy, even if they want to interact with others.

The person may not remember how to do something such as play games or talk about what happened at work that day due to memory loss. This can cause feelings of frustration and make it hard for them to connect with others or participate in activities like reading, watching TV shows together, or going out on the town for dinner.

Changes in mood and personality

Changes in mood and personality are also early signs of dementia. In addition to depression and anxiety, which often accompany other mental disorders, people with dementia may become irritable or angry more easily than they used to. They may withdraw from social activities they once found pleasurable or are no longer able to participate in the same way. If you notice a change in your loved one's mood or personality that is sudden, persistent and unexplained by their circumstances, it could be an early sign of dementia.

Conclusion

As the world around us evolves, we must keep evolving with it. We need to be aware of our own cognitive health and take action if something is amiss. If you or someone you love has experienced any of these symptoms, please seek help from a medical professional immediately.