15 early signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for
Dementia is a broad term that describes signs that can impair a person's ability to remember, think, process information, and communicate. According to the NHS report, 431,845 people were diagnosed with dementia on January 31, 2023, a decrease of 2,566 people from December 31, 2022. On January 31, 2023, 61.8% of patients aged 65 or older with dementia had a recorded diagnosis, down from 62.5% on December 31, 2022. However, it is expected that the number of dementia patients in the UK will exceed one million by 2025. According to a report by the Dementia Statistics Hub, 65% of the people living with dementia are women, while only 35% of men suffer from dementia in the UK.
In the early stages of dementia, a person's signs are often relatively mild and not always easy to notice. Some of the common early-stage signs of dementia include problems with memory, speed of thought, language, or perception.
In this article, we will look into what dementia is and its 15 early-stage signs and symptoms. These early warning signs should never be disregarded or taken lightly because they quicken the progression of the illness.
What is dementia?
Dementia is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, thinking, judgement, and behaviour. It is one of the most common forms of long-term brain conditions among older adults. Researchers are yet to find out the main cause of dementia; however, it's the brain's gradual deterioration due to some factors such as genetics, lifestyle choices, and other medical conditions.
15 early signs of dementia
Here are the early signs of dementia to look out for:
1. Subtle short-term memory changes:
Memory problems can be an early sign of dementia. These changes can be subtle and tend to involve short-term memory. A person with dementia may remember events that happened years ago but might not know what they had for breakfast, forget where they placed items, struggle to remember why they entered a room, or forget what they were supposed to do on a particular day.
2. Difficulty finding the right words:
Another early sign of dementia is difficulty communicating one's thoughts. Dementia makes it challenging for a person to explain concepts or choose the appropriate words to convey their ideas. Additionally, they might pause in the middle of a thought and become stuck.
3. Changes in mood or emotions:
In the early stages of dementia, you might not notice mood changes. Depression, fear, or anxiety, for instance, are early signs of dementia. They could easily be disturbed if their daily routine is changed or they are in unfamiliar situations. Even their personality might shift; for instance, a person might shift from being shy or quiet to outgoing.
4. Apathy:
A person with dementia might lose interest in hobbies or activities they once enjoyed. They lose interest in having fun or spending time with family or friends and may seem emotionally flat.
5. Difficulty completing tasks:
A person with dementia might find it difficult to complete common tasks. This usually starts with difficulty doing more complex tasks, like balancing a chequebook, following a recipe, or playing a game that has a lot of rules. Apart from this, they may also find it difficult to learn how to do new things or follow a new routine.
6. Confusion:
Someone with early-stage dementia frequently experiences confusion. They may have difficulty remembering faces, determining the day or month, or determining their location. Confusion can occur in varied situations and apply to different situations, such as when someone misplaces their house keys or has difficulty remembering someone they recently met.
7. Difficulty following storylines:
Difficulty following storylines is a classic early sign of dementia. Dementia patients frequently forget the meaning of words they hear or struggle to keep up with conversations or television shows.
8. A failing sense of direction:
As dementia progresses, a person's sense of direction and spatial orientation typically deteriorate. They might have trouble identifying once-familiar landmarks and lose track of how to get to places they used to know well. A person living with dementia may also find it difficult to follow a series of directions and step-by-step instructions.
9. Repetition:
Repetition is a common sign of dementia caused by memory loss and general behavioural changes. They may obsessively collect items or perform daily tasks such as shaving and bathing. Additionally, they might repeatedly tell the same story, ask the same question, or say the same thing in a conversation.
10. Struggling to adapt to change:
For someone who is in the early stages of dementia, the experience can cause fear. They suddenly can't recall what they know or understand what others are saying. For example, they might forget why they went to a particular store or get lost on the way home, even though they have taken the same route several times before. Difficulty adapting to changes or getting frustrated is another sign of dementia.
11. Poor judgement:
Another effect of cognitive decline is a loss of decision-making ability. Someone suffering from dementia, for example, will be unable to recognise potentially dangerous situations. They may try to walk across a busy street without waiting until it's safe to do so or head outside in summer clothes when it is snowing outside. They also face an inability to use good financial judgement and spend money or lend money and forget about it.
12. Visual-perceptual difficulties:
It is another early sign of dementia where they have problems judging distances, for example, when using stairs. Visual-perceptual difficulties differ from early-stage DLB visual hallucinations (often of animals or people).
13. Changes in personality and behavior:
Another very common early sign of dementia is when the individual gets suddenly irritable, easily agitated, moody, or withdrawn. People with dementia might even become suspicious, paranoid, aggressive, or abusive towards others.
14. Change in sleeping patterns:
In the early stages of the disease, there might be signs that your loved one is sleeping a lot more or a lot less than before. For example, they might sleep during the day and be awake all night, or wake up in the middle of the night and find it difficult to fall back asleep. This is a sign for you to check on your loved one with a doctor.
15. Less concern with appearance:
Once your loved one starts putting less effort into their appearance, you should be concerned about their mental health. It can be a crucial sign that he is suffering from some form of dementia, which affects his ability to maintain self-care. If your parents resist help with personal care or appear oblivious to how they look, there might be an issue of concern.
These are some of the early signs of dementia, which are the red flags that you need to watch out for.
Nurses Group Homecare is the leading care provider in the UK. We provide trained care professionals to support your loved one. From the very beginning of their first signs to the very end, we can assist your loved one in their protracted battle with dementia.