RECOGNIZING DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS – MARJORIE HOUSE

Dementia is a mental disorder that can greatly affect a person’s quality of life. Because of this, it’s important that you are able to recognize if a loved one is developing dementia so that you can get them the help that they need.

To be diagnosed with dementia, the individual needs to have at least two types of mental impairments. These impairments include issues with language, communication, reasoning, focus and memory. The following are some of the specific signs that indicate that your loved one may have one or more of these impairments:

• Problems with their short-term memory — Individuals who may be developing dementia will often have no problem remembering events that happened years ago, but may have difficulty remembering things that happened that day.
• Repetition — Individuals who begin repeating things that they have already said are most likely having short-term memory problems. This repetition also occurs in their actions. For example, they may feed their pet twice in the morning because they forgot that they already fed them.
• Problems with communicating their thoughts — People with dementia often have difficulty finding the right words to convey their thoughts. If you notice that your conversations are taking longer than normal to conclude due to multiple pauses ,as if they are searching for the right thing to say, then they may be having issues with possible dementia.
• Signs of apathy — People who are suffering from dementia or developing it often lose interest in the things that they used to love, whether it’s hobbies or even spending time with friends and family.
• Mood changes or shifts in personality — Many people in the early stages of dementia suffer from depression. They also undergo major shifts in personality, sometimes going from introverted to extroverted.
• Confusion — The lapses that occur in memory and judgment can often cause confusion. This can happen when they don’t recognize the faces of their friends or family members.
• Trouble completing certain tasks — Individuals with dementia have trouble with more complicated tasks, such as those that require math or rules.
• Problems with their comprehension — A classic early symptom is difficulty following conversations or even storylines in movies or TV shows.
• Fear — Experiencing the symptoms in the early stages of dementia can be frightening, especially if the individual is experiencing a lot of confusion and short-term memory loss or can’t identify their surroundings or familiar faces.

If a loved one is exhibiting these signs, then they may be developing dementia. It’s important that you bring them to a medical professional to receive a proper diagnosis. For information about receiving care for a loved one suffering from dementia, be sure to contact us at Marjorie House today.