5 Signs Your Loved One May Have Dementia

Has your loved one recently started to misplace items? Are they forgetting important dates or having trouble relaying information? These signs can be quite concerning. With more weakness in memory evident, you may feel as if medical attention is needed. Ask a doctor to see your loved one, checking to determine if dementia has started. The following are five signs that could indicate the condition.

1. Forgetfulness

What did someone have for breakfast? What happened in the early morning hours? Many times someone entering dementia begins to lose short-term memory. He or she may be able to tell lengthy stories about the past but the present is just hard to recall. This is a problem as it progresses. Someone might get confused or lost in a store. Driving becomes problematic. Simple activities like cooking may even become worrisome. A stove left on could become a fire hazard. If it gets to be a safety concern, research Alzheimer care Denver to locate a place that could offer assistance.

2. Moodiness

Those suffering from dementia might be showing personality changes. Someone who is generally cheerful may become short-tempered or agitated. Depression might set in easily, creating bouts of sadness and loss. Talk with a doctor about this as the physician could offer medical treatment that might stabilize attitudes.

3. Unfocused

Try playing a simple card or board game together. Those with dementia struggle to follow along like they used to do. Those afflicted cannot remember the general rules or concentrate on the flow of the game. 

4. Repetitive

Because the memory is no longer working well, those with dementia tend to repeat actions or phrases. Is someone constantly asking you if you want water? Are they telling you the same story over and over again? This means that the brain isn’t retaining information, so the person is simply on auto-replay. In fact, it may become a fixation, chronically stuck on one thing over and over again. While frustrating for you, remember that your family member doesn’t understand or know what he or she is doing. 

5. Loss of Words

As a neurological condition, dementia patients have lost the ability for the brain to process normally. Because this central system controls language, it could impair the ability to access words and phrases. You might ask a simple question, but the receiver struggles to respond. 

It’s hard to see someone you care for lose mental capacity. If you think the condition has started, reach out to a professional early. Those in the medical field may be able to slow the progression, giving you all more time together and restoring some abilities.