How to Recognize Dementia

Dementia is a collection of symptoms that can occur due to a variety of possible diseases. Dementia symptoms include impairments in thought, communication, and memory. Currently, there is no cure for the disease. The best way to combat these is to adopt a healthy lifestyle to hopefully prevent it.

For care providers and family members of the elderly it is important to be aware of early signs of Dementia. Here are the 10 ways to recognize Dementia in your loved one.

1.Memory Loss

A common sign of Dementia is memory loss. Although it is very common to forget the occasional appointment or meeting, someone with Dementia forgets these things more often than they remember them or doesn’t remember them at all when reminded.

2. Difficulty with simple tasks

Another common sign is difficulty with small tasks. The average person may forget to brush their teeth during their morning routine, but someone with Dementia forgets how to brush their teeth. Be sure to look for signs of forgetfulness when it comes to tasks that seem easy.

3. Language problems

Everyone has forgotten the correct word to say from time to time and stumbled through a sentence, but someone with Dementia crafts sentences that don’t make sense, sometimes referred to as a “word salad” or has difficulty understanding the language used by others.

4. Disorientation

We’ve all had that time where we space out and forget where we are, but someone with Dementia feels this constantly and may even have difficulty finding a place they know well, or may believe they are living in a past part of their life.

5. Poor Judgement

Poor judgment is another sign of someone that is experiencing signs of Dementia. While it is common to forget to wear sunscreen on a hot day, or to forget an umbrella on a cloudy day, someone with Dementia may forget to wear a jacket or sweater when they go out into the snow or may bundle up in a snow jacket when it’s 104 degrees.

6. Trouble with Abstract Thinking

Few people truly understand calculus, but someone with Dementia may have difficulty remembering or understanding what numbers are, or how they interact in basic equations. For example, they will forget how old they are or what year they were born.

7. Poor Estimation Skills

For someone with early stages of dementia, they might have trouble with their estimation skills. We all tell the white lie, “I’ll be there in 5 minutes!” when Google Maps actually says it will take 12 minutes. Someone with Dementia says 5 minutes believes it will only be 5 minutes when, in reality, it takes them much longer to arrive.

8. Misplacing Items

Everyone loses their keys at some point in their lives. However, someone with Dementia may lose their keys more often than others or may forget what keys are or what lock the keys are supposed to unlock.

9. Personality Changes

Another common sign of Dementia is a severe personality shift. We all have bad days that cause our personality to change here and there. Someone with Dementia can have rapid mood swings that make them appear suspicious, withdrawn, or confused at random.

10. Loss of Joy in Previously Enjoyed Activities

Although it’s entirely common for someone to occasionally not want to do their favorite activity, someone with Dementia suddenly loses interest in activities they have enjoyed their entire lives or they must be retaught common and routine aspects of that activity.

Here at California Homecare we take our responsibility to care for your loved ones very seriously. Because of this deep commitment, we present the following signs that your loved one may be suffering from Dementia. Although it may be scary, we are here to help you through every part of the process.

While these are common signs of Dementia, only a doctor can diagnose the condition. If you believe your loved one may be exhibiting signs of Dementia with consult a doctor as soon as possible.