There are many early signs of dementia. This article steps you through them and helps you to explore, through examining my Mum's journey how these signs of dementia can show up in a person's life.
This is not a medical website about dementia it is about memory improvement tools and where to find them after you have talked to your physician. It is important to be able to read the signs that memory loss gives you.
Just because you seem to be plagued by a few memory problems and some forgetfulness don't let alarm bells ring too loudly - there are many causes of memory loss and a few forgetful moments doesn't necessarily mean that you are on the slippery slope to Dementia and Alzheimer's. To be sure it is best to know:
The 10 Warning Signs of Dementia that the Alzheimer's Association promotes:
Memory changes that disrupt daily life
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationship
New problems with words in speaking or writing
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
If you have any questions about any of these warning signs of dementia, the Alzheimer's Association recommends consulting a physician. Early diagnosis provides the best opportunities for treatment, support and future planning.
The Signs Of Dementia That Showed With My Mum
I noticed changes in the behavior of my Mum and dismissed them as normal aging or senile dementia. It was a mistake that I regret. Early identification and intervention was an opportunity that I missed. I hope you do not make the same mistake.
Signs Of Dementia - My Mum's Journey
My Mum used to call it getting lost her local shopping center. This was despite the fact that she had shopped at this shopping centre for over ten years. (Sign No. 3- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure)
Dad made the effort to train Mum to take over the family finances after he had had his first heart attack. It was a good strategy because Mum coped well with her finances for about five years after Dad died from another heart attack. However, when the bank returned some of her checks because of insufficient funds in her account I told her to transfer some money from her savings account and to tell the payees that she had done so. I didn't realize that managing her bank account was now too much for her. (Sign No. 2 - Challenges in planning or solving problems)
When my sister and I were growing up Mum never tolerated any verbal shortcuts such as "thingo", "stuff" and "what ever". In the last five years of Mum's life it was as though she had remembered all our short cuts because she started using them herself with a generous sprinkling of the worst swear words that you are likely to hear. The worst part about it this often occurred in public. (Sign No. 10 - Changes in mood and personality)
As Mum's dementia advanced she had to be moved to an Aged Care Facility. When we were packing Mum's house up we found cupboards full of expensive clothes that she had never worn as they still had their labels on them. They were suitable clothes for a young woman in her twenties. (Sign No 8 - Decreased or poor judgment)
Mum constantly telephoned us wanting us to call the police because someone had broken into her house and prepared a meal and ate it at her kitchen table and left the dirty dishes in the sink. No amount of reasoning could convince her that she had prepared the meal and eaten it herself. (Sign No. 1 - Memory changes that disrupt daily life)
Mum quite often invited complete strangers into her home to fix some problem or other that her family would normally have attended to at the weekend. An example of this was fixing the automatic dial on her telephone where she invited an unknown taxi driver into her house to assist her after he had bought her home from the hairdresser. (Sign No 8 - Decreased or poor judgement)
How people want to be told about their diagnosis by their physician:
The Alzheimer's Association completed a study with actual suffers of Alzheimer's disease that had been diagnosed by their physician. This is what the physicians' clients (the person with dementia) stated they wanted:
Talk to me directly
Tell the truth
Test early
Take my concerns seriously, regardless of my age
Deliver the news in plain but sensitive language
Co-ordinate with other care providers
Explain the purpose of different tests and what you hope to learn
Give me tools for living with this disease
Work with me on a plan for healthy living
Recognize that I am an individual and the way I experience this disease and the stages of dementia is unique
Alzheimer's is a journey, not a destination"
Human memory is one of our most valuable possessions - it is the part of us that contributes a vital part to the totality of who we are as well as being essential for everyday living skills. Later in life when your memory starts to fail you realize that brain fitness cannot be taken for granted and must be managed just as physical health.
In discussions with our family physician and my reading on the topic of memory loss revealed that if you keep your mind active - you can potentially reduce the amount and rate of mental deterioration. If you use the memory tests, memory exercises, concentration games, puzzles and brain exercises on this site to keep your mind active you give yourself a better chance to be mentally active throughout your life. Of course, this is after you too have talked to your own family physician about what you can do to manage your brain fitness.
Managing your Brain Fitness is a critical issue and these are some of the tools:
