What are the early signs of dementia?

Answer 1

The early signs of dementia are very subtle and vague, and may not be immediately obvious. Early symptoms also vary a great deal. Usually, though, people first seem to notice that there is a problem with memory, particularly in remembering recent events.

Other common symptoms include:
Confusion
Personality change
Apathy and withdrawal
Loss of ability to do everyday tasks.

10 warning signs
Go through the following list and note the symptoms that are present. If there are several ticks, a doctor should be consulted for a complete examination of the person with the symptoms.

1.Recent memory loss that affects day to day functions
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3. Problems with language
4. Disorientation to time and place
5. Poor or decreased judgement
6. Problems with abstract thinking
7. Misplacing things
8. Changes in mood or behaviour
9. Changes in personality
10. Loss of initiative

Answer 2

What are the most important early indications of dementia?


1. Forgetfulness with effects at work:

Most people sometimes forget names or appointments. If this happens more frequently and inexplicable states of confusion also occur, this might be an indication for a decline in memory function.

2. Difficulties with familiar activities:

People who are very busy are sometimes absent-minded and for example forget the pot on the stove. People with dementia possibly not only forget the pot on the stove but also that they have cooked at all.

3. Language problems:

Most people sometimes experience difficulties in finding the right words. Dementia sufferers often cannot remember simple words and instead they use inappropriate fillers which makes it difficult to understand the sentences.

4. Problems with spatial and temporal orientation:

A lot of people sometimes forget e.g. the day of the week or they get lost in unfamiliar surroundings. Dementia sufferers might be in their own street and no longer know where they are, how they got there and how to get home again.

5. Impaired capacity of judgement:

People not always choose clothes suitable for the weather. Dementia sufferers sometimes wear totally inappropriate clothes. For example, they wear a bathrobe while shopping or several blouses on top of each other on a hot summer day.

6. Problems with abstract thinking:

For many people running a bank account is a challenge. Dementia patients can often neither recognise numbers nor carry out simple calculations.

7. Leaving things behind:

From time to time almost everybody leaves their keys or a wallet behind. Dementia sufferers however might put things in completely inappropriate places, such as for example the iron in the fridge or a watch in the sugar bowl. Afterwards they do not remember where they put them.

8. Mood swings and behavioural changes

Everybody has mood swings. People with dementia may have very sudden mood swings, often without discernible cause.

9. Personality changes:

With advancing age the personality of most people changes a little. People affected by dementia may experience a very pronounced personality change suddenly or over a longer period of time. Somebody who is generally friendly, for example, becomes unexpectedly angry, jealous or timid.

10. Loss of initiative:

Nobody continuously works with the same motivation. Dementia patients sometimes loose the zest in their work and the interest in their hobbies completely without enjoying new activities.

Answer 3

This is not an easy question to answera as there are so many types of dementia which all effect different parts of the brain. Frontal-lobe dementia, Pick's dementia, Alzheimers-Dementia, Louis Body Dementia etc; etc; but usually the first signs are a loss of short term memory and a loss of vocabulary...

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

I can tell you what we saw in my dad:
He visibly slowed down. He was easily confused. He forgot lots of words, primarily nouns ("expressive aphasia" is the clinical term--not everyone with Alzheimer's has it). He got frustrated more easily and angry at himself more often. He lost interest in favorite things, like the Red Sox winning the World Series.
If you see signs of dementia in yourself or a loved one please don't wait any longer. Go to your doctor and have the cognitive tests done. The sooner a person with AD gets on medication the better.

Answer 5

My grandma had dementia. It started with her forgetting names and repeating the same story twice in a row not knowing she just said all that 2 minutes ago.

Answer 6

My dad has dementia right now.It start out with changes in there behavior.they can be nice at one time and then get nasty at other time.and their walking kind of dragges alone and they slow down alot and anything can set them of.then they have trouble remembering things that has just happen a few minutes ago.this is call short term memory,but they can remember everything in the past,like it just happen yesterday.we lost my mom 13yrs.ago and i can hear him talking to my mom like she was in the room with him.i just don't say anything to him about it.He is no longer able to drive, he has gotten lost twice and didn't know there he was going and 2nd he couldn't remember where he parked is truck.both times i was called to go get him.dementia is a trouble disease and when it really gets bad, they will have to wear a diaper,because they no longer have control of their body funtions and that is when you have to put them in a rest home.I forgot,they get to a point where they no longer no who they family members our.This is what i and my 2 brother are looking at,and it's very hard to see your dad go through this horrible disease and nothing can be done about it.Just terrible.


Clowmy

Answer 7

Fogetting where you placed things. Short term memory loss, remembering things from long ago, fogetting certain people in your life...

Answer 8

memory deficits, impaired abstract thinking, poor judgement, clouding of conciousness and orientation, depression, agitation, sleeplessness, paranoid ideation may be present. hope this helps
i'm a nurse

Answer 9

Lack of Good judge meant and not being able to decern right form wrong.

Answer 10

forgetfulness, sometimes even halluications,just not rembering simple things you have learned even in school,organizeing thoughts like you want..