Dementia is a cognitive condition that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It can be caused by many things, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, or brain injury. It is a disease that causes progressive cognitive decline, and it can be difficult to diagnose.
Luckily, there are many telltale warning signs of dementia that will help you identify the symptoms at an early stage to prevent any more damage
1. Confusion about time and place
Confusion about time and place is a common symptom of dementia. This can lead to a lot of problems for dementia patients and may lead to the inability to plan events or even cause patients to forget the directions to familiar locations, such as how to get home. Many patients suffering from dementia often cannot differentiate hours of the day or days of the week
2. Challenges understanding visual information
People who are living with Alzheimer’s disease can sometimes experience a loss of their ability to understand visual information, such as finding names for familiar objects or even the names of loved ones. This is often not the first symptom, but it may be one of the more noticeable symptoms as dementia progresses
3. Speech issues
Dementia is an illness that affects the brain, leading to changes in a person’s behavior, memory, and ability to perform everyday tasks. One of the additional symptoms of dementia can be speech difficulties, resulting in the slurring of words or having trouble following or maintaining a conversation
4. Misplacing personal items
If you have noticed that your loved one has been misplacing their personal items, it could be a sign of dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term for various neurological conditions where the patient shows cognitive decline and memory impairment. While it’s common to lose track of personal items like keys, wallets, and phones, worsening symptoms may indicate a cognitive condition that affects memory.
5. Problem solving difficulties
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that slowly destroys the brain’s ability to function. Alzheimer’s symptoms are not always easy to spot, but there are signs you can watch out for. The most common symptom of Alzheimer’s is difficulty with problem solving. This includes forgetting how to do simple tasks, like making coffee, dressing, cooking familiar meals, or remembering where you left your car keys. If an individual has been showing these symptoms and they’re over 65 years old, it may be time for an evaluation by a doctor specializing in memory disorders
6. Poor judgement
Dementia is a progressive brain disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. The symptoms can vary from person to person, but the early stages of dementia often include poor judgment. For instance, dementia patients may not dress properly to venture outside in cold weather or taking a risk (i.e., giving of money) that isn’t like them. While we all make bad decisions every once in a while, dementia may cause cognitive issues with the ability to make decisions that gets more severe as time goes on
7. Memory loss
This is a common symptom of many types of dementia. Such a symptom can be caused by Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. It can also be the result of normal aging. People with this disease experience massive memory loss as they age and can even forget something they just did a few moments ago
If you have a loved one displaying any of the above symptoms, it may be time to talk to a healthcare provider about testing for dementia related diseases. Doctors can provide therapies, medications, and specific supplements for memory to prevent further cognitive decline.They can also refer loved ones to top senior assisted living care near you, which provide medical, social, and emotional support and safety for people who are aging, as well as they’re loved ones.
