November is Alzheimer Awareness Month
Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s or other dementia. Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning skills Here are 10 warning signs:
1.Memory loss that disrupts daily life
One of the most common signs of the disease, especially in the early stage, is forgetting recently learned information, or forgetting important dates or events. Some people ask for the same information over and over again, or have to rely more and more on reminder notes.
What’s a typical age-related change?
Sometimes forgetting names or appointments but remembering them later.
- Challenges in planning or solving problems.
Some people experience changes in their ability to follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They find it difficult to concentrate and take much longer to do things than they did before.
What’s a typical age related problem?
Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home or at work.
Sometimes, people have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget or remembering the rules of a favorite game.
What’s a typical age-related problem?
Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.
- Confusion with time or place
People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. Sometimes they forget where they are or how they got there.
What’s a typical age-related problem?
Forgetting what day of the week it is, but figuring it out later.
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty judging distance and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving.
What’s a typical age-relate problem?
Vision changes related to cataracts.
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue. They may struggle with vocabulary or have trouble finding the right word. (like calling a watch a “hand-clock)
What’s a typical age-related problem?
Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.