Spotting The Early Signs Of Alzheimers And Dementia 

 

There is currently no cure for dementia, so early diagnosis is so important. Spotting this condition early will give you the opportunity to correctly support your loved one to live well with the type of dementia they have. Simply having a diagnosis will open doors to emotional, practical, legal and financial advice and support along with access to treatments to manage their symptoms and care. 

 

The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease and symptoms do vary between this and other types of dementia, but there are broad similarities between them all. Different people will also experience symptoms in their own way, so it is good to be vigilant and keep common symptoms in mind when around your loved one. To help anyone that is concerned about their family or friends, Companions of London have explained below some of the common early symptoms that may appear quite some time before a diagnosis of dementia.

 

Memory loss

 

This is probably the most commonly known sign of dementia. It isn’t uncommon for people to experience bouts of memory loss and ordinary forgetfulness but when dementia is concerned, you should keep an eye out for short-term memory loss such as, regularly forgetting recent events, names and faces.

 

Look out for things such as forgetting where they left a specific item at home, struggling to remember why they entered a particular room or forgetting what they were supposed to do on any given day.

 

Getting confused 

 

Alongside memory loss, getting confused is another well know sign of dementia. It isn’t uncommon for confusion to arise when memory, thinking or judgment lapses. Completing familiar daily tasks may be more difficult such as handing over the correct change when shopping or not knowing the steps for preparing a meal. 

 

You may also find that your loved one becomes lost in familiar places, such as the road they live on and they don’t know how to get back home. A person with dementia may also confuse night and day or put things in unusual places. 

 

Struggling with vocabulary 

 

Another early symptom of dementia to look out for is struggling to communicate. Your loved one may have difficulty explaining something or finding the right words to express themselves properly. They may also struggle to follow a conversation and it can take longer than usual to conclude even a day-to-day casual chat. 

 

As well as finding and using the right words becoming difficult, people with dementia sometimes forget the meanings of words that they hear and due to this will struggle to follow storylines in films or TV programmes.

 

Mood changes 

 

Everybody’s mood changes from time to time but, a person with dementia may experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason. As well as these mood swings, you should also look out for your loved one showing less emotion than they usually do. Depression, for instance, is typical of early dementia.

 

Along with mood changes, you should also lookout for a shift in personality. The majority of the time, dementia will affect someone’s judgement and this can cause a change in the way someone is in general. 

 

How Companions of London can help 

 

Think about these early signs of dementia next time you see your loved one and if you think they are experiencing a number of the symptoms then it may be time to talk with a doctor. Whilst some signs such as forgetfulness don’t automatically point to dementia, you shouldn’t just them especially if they aren’t improving. 

 

If your loved one does get diagnosed with dementia and you find yourself needing help, please don’t be ashamed to reach out to Companions Of London. This can be a hard time for you too, especially if you are now trying to juggle caring for your family member or friend on top of your everyday life. Companions of London can provide you with in-home dementia care and Alzheimer’s home care, and we can assist you in any way that you may require. 

 

In this day and age, home care for dementia patients is becoming more and more popular and it has many proven benefits. If you would like to find out more then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the experienced team at Companions of London who will be able to provide you with all of the additional information you require and answer any questions that you may have about dementia home care.