How you support your loved ones matters. And no one knows your elderly loved ones better than you do. Their traits, hobbies, and personalities are already engraved in your mind. So, whenever something odd happens, there is a good chance you will spot it. Aging affects the mind.
The older we get, the harder it is to recall information or learn new things. Of course, not all problems will disrupt a person’s life. But, when dementia creeps in, it’s important to have the right knowledge to recognize mild cognitive and progressively profound impairment. Take a look at the dementia symptoms below that you should keep an eye out for.
1. Poor Judgment, Confusion, and Memory Loss
Being unable to make proper decisions is one of the hallmarks of dementia. Although short-term memory loss is one of the classic dementia symptoms that appear early on, a poor judgment could come before memory loss.
2. Having a Tendency to Act Without Thinking
Was your loved one known for being kind, caring, shy, and reserved? But, now they are doing and saying things with little to no regard as to how it’s affecting others. Acting impulsively is one of the psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia.
3. Being Apathetic Towards Others
Elderly with dementia have higher odds of developing apathy as their ailment gets worse. Roughly 50% to 70% of dementia patients have apathy. Compared to 2% to 5% of elderly without the ailment, who do have apathy.
4. Getting Lost In Their Own Neighborhood
Even if your person has never wandered in the past, or gotten lost in familiar surroundings, dementia can make people lose their ability to spot familiar places and faces.
5. Paying Bills and Handling Money Responsibly Has Become a Hassle
Dementia comes in stages. These dementia stages may be mild at first. But, they can progress into moderate, moderately severe, and severe decline. When you look at the early signs of dementia checklist, you will notice that money problem are one of them.
Although the elderly might be able to carry out basic tasks and pay the bills, when it comes to handling complicated tasks, like balancing their checkbook, that’s when they hit a roadblock. As the illness progresses, financial matters become harder to manage.
6. Trouble Expressing, Understanding, or Speaking
Depending on the types of dementia your person is dealing with, they can develop communication problems. For instance, they may not find the right words or any word at all. They may rely on words that have no actual meaning or are jumbling them up in the wrong order.
An individual with any type of dementia can experience these dementia symptoms. That’s because the ailment could damage segments of the brain in charge of controlling language. Therefore, their personality can change. Including the way, they handle these language troubles.
7. Using Odd Words to Refer to Different Objects
Does your loved one use substitutes for words a lot more often than they used to? Like, saying can you give me that “thing” over there, rather than a “plate”, or “chair”. This is considered one of the dementia signs in the elderly.
8. Loss of Interest in Daily Events/Activities
If there was a hobby your person used to love, but now they can’t even bother to do it, this could be seen as one of the dementia symptoms. As well as the lack of enthusiasm and interest in social interaction. That’s because the social aspects of life can become a stumbling block with dementia.
What Can You Do?
Dementia symptoms can pose countless challenges. This condition makes it hard for those affected to recall things, communicate, and take good care of themselves. By creating a safe environment and enhancing your communication ability, you can tackle this behavior. For more information on dementia and how we care for our seniors, email us at info@pomeroyliving.com
