Being forgetful is a normal sign of aging, especially for the elderly. But how do you know that their being forgetful is just a normal case because they’re getting old and not a serious one like dementia? Dementia is a general term referring to the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that hinder your everyday activities.
Early Signs of Dementia
Here are some of the early signs you can observe from your beloved elderly that they are suffering from dementia.
- Memory Loss
It is normal for senior citizens to occasionally forget things and then remember them again after some time. But if they keep forgetting things more frequently, including things that they recently learned, this may be a sign that they have dementia.
- Having Difficulty with Tasks
Forgetting a step or two with the routines that they usually do is normal for the elderly. But if you observe that they don’t just forget things but are also having difficulty accomplishing these tasks, you can consider this a sign of dementia.
- Difficulty in Solving Problems
The task of following directions and solving problems can be challenging for elderly people with dementia. They may have difficulty adding numbers when they pay bills or follow the recipe for a dish they usually cook.
- Having Problems with Language
Another sign that your beloved may have dementia is when they forget even the easiest words that they can use to express what they want to say, or the words they are saying are difficult to understand.
- They are Disoriented
Elderly people with dementia may have difficulty finding their way to a familiar place; they may also feel confused about where they are, or they may think that they are back in some past time in their life.
- Difficulty in Understanding Visual Information
For a senior with dementia, reading, determining distances, differentiating colors, and other visual information can be challenging.
- Having an Impaired Judgment
When an elderly suddenly experiences changes in judgment or decision-making like wearing layered clothes during summer or not going to the doctor when feeling unwell, know that this can be a sign of them having dementia.
- Having Mood, Personality, and Behavior Changes
If you observe that your beloved senior citizen experiences rapid mood swings for no apparent reason or suddenly becomes confused, suspicious, and withdrawn, and then suddenly becomes disinhibited or more outgoing, immediately seek the attention of medical professionals, as these can be signs of dementia.
These are some of the signs of dementia that you should be aware of, especially if you’re taking good care of the elderly. When you observe these signs in the senior citizen you are taking care of, make sure to seek attention from medical professionals so they can immediately check them up and diagnose their state.
But if you want to make sure that you are not just overthinking things, you can ask for assistance from the National Caregivers Library and learn more about the early signs of dementia for senior citizens. Once you have concluded all your suspicions, do the right thing and have your elderly loved one checked by professionals. This way, you’ll know how to take care of them, and medical professionals will also help you look after them.
