Behavioural and early physical signs of Dementia

We know that people often notice older relatives and friends having moments of memory loss and forgetfulness and automatically assuming dementia is the cause, but that’s not always true.
Sometimes early signs of dementia can include memory loss, but there are a whole host of other factors which need to be considered when diagnosing dementia. What’s important is that if you are concerned that a friend or loved one may be experiencing the early stages of dementia, that you understand what they’re experience and, if necessary, know how to support them in securing a diagnosis as early as possible.

Memory Loss
In the early stages of dementia, subtle memory loss is common and tends to affect short term memory. That means that there won’t be issues recalling the family history, or a holiday a few years
ago, but there can be problems remembering appointments, or an item of shopping from the shopping list. While we can all forget the odd thing, if your friend or loved one is frequently
misplacing items, leaving belongings in strange places, forgetting what happened yesterday, or accidentally skipping meals then these are the sorts of things to look out for.

Challenges with daily tasks
Challenges with short term memory often go hand in hand with difficulties in daily life. They might repeat tasks which they’ve forgotten they’ve already done, or ask questions which you’ve already
discussed earlier in your conversation.

This can become a difficulty when it comes to more challenging and taxing tasks such as managing money or preparing meals. Further down the line, this can lead to challenges with more simple tasks, such as making a cup of tea.

Difficulties with conversation
We all have problems choosing our words and explaining what we mean sometimes, but when these slip ups become more common, that could be an early indicator of dementia. You would mainly
notice someone using incorrect words or struggling to find the words without noticing. It’s things which make the conversation take a bit longer than it usually would, or than you’d expect, which you should keep an eye out for.

Confusion and getting lost
Short term memory loss can be quite confusing and disorientating. It means that familiar faces, names, places and information suddenly don’t seem quite right. You’d notice this issue especially
with people who have only recently been introduced. Or, if it’s someone you’ve know longer, by mixing up friend or family member names. Challenges telling the time, day and location, can also be examples of this confusion.

The location and spatial aspects of this can be concerning for a person living with dementia. Often their perception difficulties mean they are unable to recognise landmarks. This means they get lost in areas that were once very familiar. This also means that the person struggles to judge distances, so a ‘5 minute bus trip to a nearby town’ is really an hour’s journey by car, or a pop round the corner to see a friend is undertaken on foot, when really a car is needed.

Mood changes
Changes of mood or shifts in their personality can become a real issue with people living with dementia. It’s very difficult for someone to notice these and realise the changes themselves, but for friends and family, it’s usually quite easy to spot. Typically wanting to withdraw from social and work commitments, a change in shyness (from shy to confident or the other way around) and signs of depression are often indicators.

Getting a diagnosis
It’s important to remember that as these symptoms begin, they will often be very mild. Sometimes they may gradually worsen slowly, making them harder to spot. It’s not unusual for people to have what’s called a ‘Mild cognitive impairment’ (MCI). Sometimes these symptoms remain the same and don’t worsen, but there are some people with MCI who go on to develop dementia.

If you recognise some of the symptoms above, or have any concerns, it’s best to talk to a doctor as soon as you can. Doctor’s can refer you to specialists, such as neurologists, who are better able to tell if symptoms are cause by dementia or something different.

Who does dementia affect?
Dementia is much more common in people over the age of 65. Typically, 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 in the UK have dementia and it becomes more common as we age. It’s not just older adults who can be affected though, anyone from around the age of 30 can be affected. The earlier dementia is diagnosed and support taken, the more likely your friend or loved one can experience independence for longer.

Moving into a care home
In the long run, dementia can mean managing everyday tasks isn’t possible and some support will be needed. It might mean that moving into a care home can become a necessity to receive the best level of support available. We know this is an emotional and difficult decision. We all want to be there to help and support our family and friends as much as we can, but sometimes that isn’t quite enough. If that happens, we want you to feel confident you’re making the right decision when you let our family care for yours.

Our teams are here to build trusting relationships, get to know your loved ones; what they’ve been through, their personality and to make sure we can continue to provide moments of enjoyment,
interest and smiles.

Whether your friend or loved one might need either a short term stay in a care home, or full time dementia care, we are here to help discuss all of your options with you.

Summary
While experiencing dementia can be tricky for the person and their support network, it doesn’t have to be an impossible journey. With the right information and support at the right times, people living with dementia can enjoy a fantastic quality of life. If you’d like to find out more about how we can support you with dementia care at Athena Care Homes, please visit our ‘Dementia Care’ page here and you can find your nearest Athena Care Home here.