Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Your mother can’t remember what she ate for lunch this afternoon. Your father has asked you five times within the past hour when you’re holding your son’s birthday party. Is it dementia? Alzheimer’s? It could be. Or it could be something else.
Following are a few of the warning signs of dementia. This is not a comprehensive list, nor is it meant to replace a professional opinion. Please think of this as a starting point to the conversation. If your loved one exhibits any of these signs or symptoms, please see a medical professional as soon as possible.
- Recent memory loss
- Confusion about the time, the day or the place
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks
- Problems with language and communications such as speaking or writing
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Problems with abstract thinking
- Vision changes
- Forgetting where they put things
- Changes in mood and personality
- Loss of initiative
- Withdrawal from social or work activities
Short-term memory loss is one of the first signs of dementia. However, dementia isn’t always the reason for confusion or memory loss. Other conditions can cause memory, thinking and behavioral changes. Health issues such as a urinary tract infection (UTI), diabetes or depression can cause changes. So can a vitamin B-12 deficiency, stroke or hypothyroidism, all of which are treatable.
Some people are afraid of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. But if there are changes in behavior or thinking, it’s very important to seek out the advice of a medical professional to determine the underlying issue. Medical conditions need to be addressed. And while there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, there are medications that can help slow the progression.
No caregiver should feel alone in the journey with a loved one. Brite Trace is a Software as a Service company focused on improving the emotional connection between caregivers and their loved ones. We have developed a solution to help you capture vital information about your loved one, keep it organized, easy to access and effective to use. We help you create non-medical strategies and solutions for your unique circumstances.
There are many resources on the web to help you understand what’s happening to your loved one. Two that we recommend are The Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (of which Brite Trace is a member).
0 comments