- Blog
- Ten warning signs of dementia
1. Recent memory loss that affects daily life
- It’s normal to forget meetings, names or telephone numbers occasionally and then remember them later.
- A person with dementia might have trouble remembering recent events.
2. Difficulty performing regular tasks
- It’s normal to make a wrong turn occasionally while driving.
- Someone with dementia might have regular difficulty driving a familiar route.
3. Problems with language
- Many people have trouble finding the right words sometimes.
- But someone with dementia might have difficulty following, or initiating a conversation.
4. Disorientation of time and place
- It is normal to occasionally forget what day it is or where you are going
- A person with dementia may be confused about the time of day, and what is appropriate for that time.
5. Decreased or poor judgment
- Making a bad decision once in a while is normal.
- A person with dementia might make bad decisions more frequently and start paying less attention to their physical appearance.
6. Problems with abstract thinking
- It’s normal to have difficulty balancing a budget.
- A person with dementia might completely forget what the numbers are and what needs to be done with them.
7. Misplacing things
- Anyone can misplace their wallet or keys.
- A person with dementia might repeatedly put things in inappropriate places.
8. Changes in mood and behaviour
- Everyone becomes sad or moody from time to time.
- A person with dementia can have rapid mood swings, from calm to tears to anger, for no apparent reason.
9. Changes in personality
- People's personalities can change a little with age
- A person with dementia might have problems in social situations they have previously been comfortable with.
10. Loss of initiative
- It is normal for people to tire of housework, business activities or social obligations.
- A person with dementia may no longer initiate things that they once enjoyed.