Dementia does not occur naturally with aging. It’s a condition wherein the brain’s functionality gradually deteriorates due to illness. Dementia has an impact on memory, judgment, language, planning, and behavior.
Dementia is more frequent in people over the age of 65, although it can affect anyone. Dementia currently has no known cure, however there are therapies that can alleviate symptoms and decrease the disease’s course. Recognizing the warning signs and seeking care as soon as possible can make a significant impact in the lives of dementia patients and their families.
Here are five red flags you should keep an eye out for. Keep in mind that we may all find ourselves in similar situations at some point. The difference with dementia is that the behaviors listed below will gradually deteriorate and have an impact on the patient’s ability to live and operate safely and freely.
Memory Loss Interfering with Daily Activities
Dementia patients frequently fail to remember recent events. losing well losing names and dates, people may forget little things like whether or not they ate lunch today. They may ask the same thing over and over again even after you’ve explained it to them. They are unable to perform daily tasks on their own due to the memory loss.
Problems Performing Regular Activities
Dementia patients may forget how to do things like clean their teeth, wash their clothes, or cook a meal. It’s possible that they’ll have a hard time determining the best sequence of events. They might iron soiled garments instead of washing them, for instance.
Disorientation regarding Space and Time
Dementia patients may forget how to get to familiar places like the supermarket or the community center. Even in their own neighborhood, they may become disoriented and confused. They might confuse the hours of the day. They might, for instance, prefer to eat dinner before bed and get ready for bed in the afternoon.
Difficulties in Communication
Dementia’s early stages are characterized by difficulties in naming everyday objects. Simple terms like “comb” may become “the thing you use to style your hair” for a person with dementia.
Difficulty with Long-Term Planning and Problem Solving
Dementia impairs cognition, making it difficult to grasp high-level concepts or find creative solutions to complex situations. A person with dementia might not realize, for instance, that he has to pay for the things he purchases. As it becomes more challenging to comprehend new ideas and concepts, he or she may find it more challenging to read the newspaper.
Reduced or impaired judgment
We all make mistakes in judgment from time to time, but dementia makes even the simplest decisions difficult. Dementia patients may exhibit irrational spending habits, such as giving out huge sums of cash to strangers, stocking up on more food than they need, or donning inappropriate attire for their daily activities.
Losing Things
Dementia patients may store their keys in the freezer, their watches in the rice cooker, and their handbags in the toilet. People who lose track of where they store things are more likely to worry that someone has stolen them.
Mood and behavior shifts
Although everyone experiences mood fluctuations from time to time, people with dementia may have them more frequently and with less explanation. A person with dementia’s emotional state can change quickly; one minute you might be laughing and joking with them, and the next they might be angry and crying.
Personality Shifts
As we become older, we gradually develop new interests and habits. Some people with dementia go through drastic personality shifts, becoming suspicious, distant, and mistrust of loved ones who were formerly close.
Isolation from one's peers or one's workplace
Dementia sufferers lose interest in the world and their place in it. They may stop doing something they enjoy, such as playing mahjong or tai chi, going out to lunch with friends, or preparing their usual meals. They may also begin to nap or otherwise waste time during the day.
Conclusion
Please visit a hospital’s memory clinic if you or a loved one regularly experience any of the aforementioned symptoms. Dementia isn’t the only possible explanation for these symptoms. Depression and hormonal imbalances are two examples of treatable mental health conditions.
Dementia patients and their loved ones might reap numerous benefits from receiving therapy early on.