Identifying Early Dementia Symptoms: Key Indicators and Tips
Dementia is a tricky condition to diagnose because its symptoms tend to overlap with various other health conditions. It's also the type of condition that slowly sneaks up on you, going unnoticed before you can do anything to slow its progression.
That's why seniors and their loved ones must understand what early dementia symptoms look like, no matter how subtle they are.
If you want to learn more about what to look out for, this is the blog for you.
Understanding Dementia
Dementia is an umbrella term that includes a plethora of conditions related to memory loss, cognitive decline, and impairment.
What most people don't know about dementia is the most common cause is Alzheimer's disease.
What's important to understand about dementia is that it's not one singular disease. It's a term that describes a collection of symptoms that you may experience when living with cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease.
The diseases grouped under the term ''dementia'' all have one thing in common - abnormal brain changes. These changes trigger cognitive degeneration, impacting cognitive abilities, mood, behavior and so much more.
Let's take a closer look at the early dementia signs you should be looking out for:
Changes in Short-Term Memory
When most people think of a condition like dementia, they might associate it with memory loss. While this is one of the most common symptoms, it's far more complicated than simply not remembering something from a few weeks ago.
One of the key dementia warning signs to watch for is a subtle change in short-term memory. Someone with early-stage dementia might be able to recall details from an event years ago but can't recall what they ate for dinner the night before.
Other lapses in short-term memory might include:
- Misplacing common items or forgetting where they placed them
- Entering a room but forgetting why they're there
- Forgetting appointments or get-togethers or what they're supposed to do on a given day
- Difficulties in completing basic tasks, such as cooking a meal, but leaving the stove turned on
While all of us are guilty of these forgetful moments from time to time, they might become a far more regular occurrence in someone with early dementia.
In early Alzheimer's disease, memory loss is also the first main symptom. The same goes for various forms of dementia such as early vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Memory loss is not common in early frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Impaired Problem-Solving Capabilities
Another sign to add to your dementia symptoms checklist is a loss or impairment of problem-solving skills.
For example, someone with early on-stage dementia will begin to have issues with planning something or making complex decisions. Their finances might become a mess, and they might start to miss payments, etc.
They might become confused and frustrated easily if they cannot understand a question or find the right answer.
Changes in Communication and Language
In the early stages of dementia, language, and communication are two of the first cognitive capabilities that begin to degenerate.
It might seem very subtle at first, as if your loved one cannot find the right word for what they're explaining/talking about. It can then progress into forming jumbled sentences that might not make sense.
Along with this, early-stage dementia can make it difficult to follow conversations or concentrate on what someone's saying. This is particularly notable in vascular dementia.
Visual Perception Difficulties
Detecting dementia early on is all about noticing even the most subtle changes. While many of these changes can go unnoticed, it helps to know what to look for. One of these is a distinct change in visual perception.
This is when a senior begins to have trouble judging distances.
A simple example is that they might find climbing the stairs more difficult than they did before by struggling to accurately judge the distance between each step.
Changes in visual perception are not related to visual hallucinations. This is only a common symptom in more advanced forms of dementia, specifically in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
Noticeable Mood Changes
This is a big one and one of those early dementia signs that's pretty hard to miss.
Subtle mood changes might start to appear out of the blue. This usually includes an increase in anxiety, irritability, and sadness. Your loved one might begin to appear more cautious and easily frustrated, or they might seem jumpy or jittery for no reason.
Mood changes are also often accompanied by an increase in apathy. Seniors with early-stage dementia tend to lose interest in hobbies or activities that they once enjoyed.
They might start to isolate or cut themselves off from friends and family and become more and more withdrawn. Overall, it might seem like the light they once had inside them is slowly fading.
Poor Concentration and Difficulty Completing Tasks
Of all the dementia warning signs, this one might be quite noticeable. If your loved one begins to ''zone out'' when you're talking to them or appears unable to concentrate on completing basic tasks, this is a red flag.
As poor concentration levels increase, it's common to begin having difficulty finishing simple everyday tasks such as:
- Following a recipe
- Following the rules of a game, they usually play
- Keeping track of appointments, bills, medication schedules, etc.
In addition to this, those with early-stage dementia might also find it difficult to learn new things or start new routines and hobbies.
You might also notice that your loved one starts repeating themselves quite often. They could begin repeating daily tasks, ask the same question multiple times, or have you tell a story more than once.
Get the Support You Need in Managing Early Dementia Symptoms
In the early stages of dementia, you have a designated window of time to get to grips with the condition and make plans for the future. If you catch dementia early enough, you stand a better chance of slowing its progression, too.
If you're looking for compassionate and experienced support in managing early dementia symptoms, our memory care team at Addington Place of Prairie Village, is here for you.
Learn more about what our expert memory care offers and how we can support you or a loved one through the journey of living with dementia.