Dementia is a syndrome that affects many people, including loved ones, that we are continuously trying and understand in more detail. For those with elderly relatives, dementia can be a worrying possibility that nobody wants to imagine becoming a reality, which is why carers and close families like to be vigilant to the early signs of the disease. For those who are anxious about dementia, there are some common symptoms which may be easy to spot and which concern language, communication, ability to concentrate and reasoning which is useful to familiarise yourself with. Some of the early signs include:
Short term memory
A typical early sign of dementia is experiencing short-term memory loss. A common sign is misplacing essential items such as keys or forgetting what they had for breakfast that morning. These day-to-day occurrences can often be an early indicator, particularly if they are a recurring problem.
Change in mood
A significant shift in mood or character is another early sign of dementia. This is a change that sufferers are often unable to detect in themselves but is an indicator that family members can usually pick up on. Because dementia affects judgement and self-awareness, how an individual thinks they are acting or how they see themselves is less of a consideration. Apathy, in this sense, is another change to look out for.
Apathy and listlessness
Another early sign of dementia is a general loss of interest in day-to-day activities and hobbies that were previously enjoyed. This is often because dementia affects thought and memory and so the individual may not even consider partaking in the hobby, simply because the thought to do it is no longer there.
Lack of focus and disorientation
Feeling disorientated is another early sign of dementia. Lacking focus and feeling out of sorts can sometimes be a sign of ageing but it is important to be mindful of how this affects day-to-day activities. If disorientation occurs frequently and begins to cause distress, it’s likely to be a sign of dementia and may be worth consulting a medical professional.
Elderly care expert and founder of The Live In Care Company, Luca Rado, has extensive experience working with elderly clients, many of whom are suffering from dementia. He has shared the top signs to be aware of in elderly loved ones that may indicate they’re experiencing early signs of dementia, as well as some of his own personal examples of symptoms he noticed in a family member:
“There are of course many early signs of dementia that you will notice over time and typically these are such things as deterioration in memory, changes in behaviour or language, increased confusion or impaired judgement or reduction in the ability to do tasks that previously were manageable.
Speaking from personal experience, the first time I noticed that my father was developing vascular dementia was when he started to forget that conversations or interactions had taken place. For example, he would say that we hadn’t seen each other for a month when in actual fact, we had met the previous day. Or he would order his food from the waiter but then insist only moments later that he had not done so.”
As our research and understanding of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease develop, new methods of managing and living with dementia are being created, so it is important to try not to feel overwhelmed by the possibility of a loved one developing it. There are also currently many resources out there for carers and relatives of dementia patients as well as support including various live-in care options.
For further information on the early stages of dementia and the support available visit – https://www.theliveincarecompany.co.uk/care-guides/dementia-what-are-the-early-signs/
