13/01/2025
MAKE THE BEST DECISION-DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS
Learning to spot dementia symptoms in aging parents and documenting the early signs of dementia can make a big difference. These could be subtle, such as beginning to struggle with managing finances, becoming lost or turned around, or even struggling to maintain a healthy, nutritious diet. Your observations could provide helpful insight to doctors, leading to a quicker and more accurate diagnosis. Signs of dementia can vary and be tough to spot, especially if you aren’t sure what to look for. Keep in mind that people with dementia may only show some, not all of, the symptoms below.
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Key Takeaways
Early signs of dementia include confusion, challenges with cognition, or changes in speech, behavior, or mood, but can vary significantly by individual.
Documenting and tracking a loved one’s unusual behaviors and sharing with a doctor can be a helpful tool in evaluating a potential dementia diagnosis.
Seek a doctor’s help when you notice patterns of warning behavior, as these symptoms may be dementia-related, or related to other diseases.
Contacting a doctor in the early stages of dementia is key, as speaking with a doctor early on can help you manage the disease.
1. Challenges with speech
It’s normal for older adults to experience lapses in thought or repeat things occasionally. However, showing signs of forgetfulness daily or frequently repeating themselves are early warning signs of dementia.
Is your parent often tongue-tied? Have you noticed verbal repetition in your parents’ thoughts or phrases? If your parent loses track of their thoughts mid-sentence, struggles finding words in conversation, or repeats stories, questions, thoughts, or jokes regularly, be sure to note the frequency. Depending on various factors, this could indeed be a sign of dementia.
Read more: What Do Dementia Patients Think About?
2. Inability to manage daily tasks
Seniors exhibiting early signs of dementia may forget the route to a familiar location, experience an inability to maintain a healthy diet, forget plans, or struggle to manage household finances. Watch for bills piling up and other problem-solving skills declining, as recurring memory loss is an early sign of dementia.
Everyone occasionally forgets something, but if it happens regularly, document when and how often. For example, take note if your parent regularly forgets:
Dentist or doctor’s appointments
Dinner plans with friends or family
Maintenance appointments for the car
Your parent may forget to eat or drink or develop a nutrient absorption problem. Senior dehydration or sudden weight loss can be severe. Medications to treat dementia symptoms can also affect your loved one’s appetite or interfere with food taste. Ensuring your loved one with dementia gets adequate fluids and nutrition can be a challenge.
As dementia progresses, your loved one may lose bladder and bowel control. Changes in their environment may also lead to accidents, as someone with dementia may not be able to find the bathroom or get there in time.
3. Increasing confusion
Many seniors experiencing the early stages of cognitive decline may forget important dates, the day or year, or get lost easily. If your elderly parent forgets the day, month, year, holidays, or other important dates, this is a red flag and could be a sign of dementia. Write down what they forget and how often the lapses occur.
People with dementia sometimes get lost in familiar places or wander aimlessly. Dementia wandering can happen for many reasons, including fear, anxiety, boredom, or an urge to follow past routines.
As you notice these behaviors in a senior parent, keep track of the dates and frequency. If these lapses happen more often as time goes on, you may want to consider discussing these issues with their doctor
4. Decline in cognition
While it may be hard to distinguish between dementia symptoms and ordinary aging, dementia typically comes with cumulative cognitive decline. If your mom’s favorite activity is cooking, but she’s struggling to use a new appliance or follow a new recipe, this could indicate dementia may be the culprit. If you notice your parent avoiding new activities or needing help to grasp a new concept, note it.
Have you noticed behaviors or situations that seem out of the ordinary, like paranoia or recklessness? For example, has your parent been spending more money than usual? Have they stopped wearing a seat belt? Significant changes in behavior or struggling to comprehend new concepts can be early indicators of dementia.
Keep in mind that some medications can also cause memory loss. If you notice dangerous behavior or unsafe habits, keep track of them as they occur and talk to your parent’s doctor. They can help you evaluate if these are signs of dementia or side effects of a medication.
5. Changes in behavior or mood
Mood changes that include confusion, irritability, depression, or anxiety are common behaviors in people with dementia. Your parent may become easily upset in different or new situations.
Insomnia and sundown syndrome are common problems in people with dementia. Your parent may have difficulties falling asleep, or they may wake up several times throughout the night. They may also feel more restless at the end of the day — sundowning. Doctors believe sundowning can be triggered by exhaustion, excitement, or changes in the biological clocks of people with dementia. Managing sleep is an essential aspect of taking care of elderly parents with dementia.
Has your loved one lost interest in or stopped pursuing their favorite hobbies or engaging in social situations? Does your parent no longer attend his morning coffee group? Did they read or garden daily but no longer make an effort? Pay attention to unusual behavior, especially if it doesn’t seem related to a physical health problem. These could also be signs of dementia.
No one knows your parents’ personalities, hobbies, or quirks like you do. So, if you persistently feel that their behavior is off, there’s a good chance it is.
Raquel Saravia
