When the Years Start Catching up on You: 9 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
We are all individual and that means that Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia can affect you in different ways compared to another person, although there are some basic symptoms that provide some warning signs.
There are options available to help you cope with the onset of Alzheimer’s and retain your independence, such as FreedomCare, where you can hire a family member to care for you and they can get paid for doing so.
The fundamental question to consider before you get to that point is to identify whether you are showing some of the classic early signs of Alzheimer’s and here are some pointers in that regard.
Your memory is not as good as it was
Age will have an impact on your memory but short-term memory loss is a particular symptom of dementia.
It is common for a person with dementia to forget a name and the context of how they know the person.
If you know how you know the person but can’t remember their name, that is most likely forgetfulness rather than a sign that you have Alzheimer’s.
Daily tasks become difficult
If you start to struggle with familiar regular tasks such as getting dressed or getting your breakfast ready, this is considered a classic sign that you might have dementia, as opposed to suffering from normal aging.
Confused and disorientated
It is ok to forget what day of the week it is, but if you suddenly can’t remember where you live or have difficulty distinguishing between night and day, that is a definite issue and a warning sign.
When the words won’t come
Again, it is normal to struggle to find the right word for something every now and again, but if you are suffering the early onset of Alzheimer’s you might start to forget simple words and end up jumbling your sentences if you substitute the wrong words as a replacement.
Impaired judgment
It might be obvious to you that when it is raining outside, for example, you will dress appropriately for the conditions.
People with dementia may start to dress inappropriately for the weather conditions.
You struggle with household finances
Someone who is suffering from dementia will often have difficulty keeping track of events and things that they need to do, such as paying their household bills.
Forgetting where you left something
We can all misplace items like keys every now and again but someone who has Alzheimer’s could end up putting things in strange places, making it very difficult to find your keys, for instance, if you have put them in the freezer.
Your mood starts to change
You can experience a noticeable change in your mood and behavior when you have dementia.
It is normal to experience different emotions and feel sad or happy at different times, but if you change rapidly to anger from being happy, for no apparent reason, this is another symptom to be aware of.
Your personality changes
Your friends and family know what sort of personality you have and one of the signs of dementia is to experience a noticeable change in your personality.
It is common to see someone with dementia become suspicious of people they would normally trust, for example, and memory problems are behind these changes.
It is normal to experience changes in your ability to perform certain tasks as you get older, but it is important to understand the distinction between aging and Alzheimer’s.