Hundreds of thousands of, mostly, elderly people live with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Identifying this in a loved can be difficult as many conflate the signs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia, with typical age-related changes. But changes concerning age are usually infrequent and minor, meaning an elderly individual’s daily life won’t be impaired.
Indicators Of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s, meanwhile, will show itself as more severe than this. So, if you see any of the following 7 signs in a loved one, we advise that you take yourself or your loved one to your GP:
1: Memory Loss
This goes beyond simply losing things from time-to-time, or forgetting one monthly payment (both signs of age-related change). Instead, this involves the loss of memory of important dates, asking the same question repeatedly, and an increasing reliance on memory aids for things an individual used to be able to handle independently. Another common sign of this can be forgetting the function of everyday objects.
2: Changes in Mood
Individuals living with the disease may go through mood swings which can include increasing confusion, depression, anxiety or suspicion. This is different from irritability or displays of emotion that are common for an elderly loved one who has a specific way of doing things.
3: Decreased Judgement
Dementia might start to affect an individual’s decision-making ability and your loved one may make the occasional lapsed judgement. But if these lapses in judgement start becoming more serious i.e. affecting their personal hygiene or they occur more frequently in an elderly individual, it’s worth noting.
4: Misplacing Things
Misplacing things and (more importantly) losing the ability to retrace steps is a typical early sign of Alzheimer’s. This may even escalate to accusations from an elderly individual of stealing if the disease progresses.
5: Issues Grasping Visual Images & Spatial Awareness
A vision problem can be an indicator of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. This is separate from cataracts and causes problems determining colour or contrasts, judging distances or space, and can create issues with driving.
6: Quality of Life Changes
Often as a result of the above point, the disease can lead to more injuries for an individual due to an increased risk of falling. However, this can also include other quality of life changes such as withdrawing more from work or social activities and even eating inappropriate items due to memory loss.
7: Emerging Difficulty with Speaking & Writing
Finally, people with Dementia may begin to struggle to engage in conversation. They might be unable to join a discussion, or completely forget what they were saying mid-sentence. It differs from being unable to find the right word and can limit vocabulary for individuals with Alzheimer’s.
If you’re worried about an elderly loved one, it’s worth looking out for the above signs, and discussing them with a doctor for advice and diagnosis if needs be.
Renray Healthcare has been supplying Dementia Furniture for decades, and you can read about Our Work in the Dementia Sector Here. Alternatively, you can always Download A Brochure, or feel free to Contact Us if you need any help!