Warning Signs for Dementia

What are the 10 Warning Signs of Dementia?

Be familiar with signs that your parent may be developing dementia vs. what is considered normal aging. Although they can vary, the most common early signs of dementia are:

1. Memory loss affecting day-to-day abilities – Does your parent forget things often or struggle to retain new information you can tell them?
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks – Are there any signs of difficulty performing a task they’ve done all their life like using a coffee maker or using a washing machine?
3. Problems with language – Does your loved one forget words (most commonly nouns) or substitute inappropriate words?
4. Disorientation in time and space – Does your parent frequently not know the day of the week, month or year? Or not know how to get to a familiar place?
5. Impaired judgment – Does your parent dress appropriately for the weather? Are there any indications of financial mismanagement?
6. Problems with abstract thinking – Do they know how to balance a check book, how to use a calculator and what to do with money?
7. Misplacing things – Have you found any items in strange places like a wallet in the fridge?
8. Changes in mood and behaviour – Does your parent show any changes to their mood? Are they still the same easy-going person they’ve always been?
9. Changes in personality – Are there any behaviors that are out of character for your parent such as feeling paranoid or threatened?
10. Loss of initiative – Have they lost interest in friends, family or favourite activities?

Call Always Home at 902-405-4400 to learn more about our services and how we can help you care for a loved one living with dementia.