How to Spot Alzheimer’s Disease in Seniors
A disease that seems to devastate so many families across the world is Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of Dementia that causes problems with a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. In fact, 1 in 10 seniors has Alzheimer’s, making it the most common form of Dementia among older adults. Due to its prevalence, Alzheimer’s is something that people need to be educated on. Below are a few ways on how to spot Alzheimer’s disease in seniors.
Potential Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
There are many potential signs that your senior loved one might display if they have Alzheimer’s Disease. To be diagnosed, seniors usually have to display two or more of the symptoms. However, if your senior loved one displays any symptoms of Alzheimer’s, do not just ignore it. Your senior loved one should see a doctor if any symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease display. Here are some of the signs on how to spot Alzheimer’s disease in seniors.
Memory Loss
One common sign of Alzheimer’s Disease is memory loss. The loss of the senior’s memory is due to the damage in the hippocampus region of the brain, which plays a very important role in cognitive memory. It starts with the senior appearing to be more forgetful than usual. Important dates or events will start to slip from the mind and questions will be repeated multiple times. Seniors may begin to use post it notes and other memory aids to remember things that they have just learned.
Difficulty Planning/Solving Problems
Usually after memory loss can be seen, seniors may begin to have some issues with planning and solving problems. They can have trouble dealing with numbers and planning ahead for future events. Seniors may be experiencing lapses in judgement, which results in simple errors in tasks. They also may have some trouble following cooking recipes or paying the monthly bills. Concentrating on tasks could become very difficult for the senior to do. Familiar tasks that the senior often did may start becoming hard to remember how to do.
Confusion About Time and Place
Seniors might also experience some confusion about times and places. Anything that is not happening immediately will be hard to understand for seniors. For example, dates, seasons, and the passage of time are all things these seniors will lose track of. Additionally, they could forget where they are. If they are not in their normal home environment, seniors with Alzheimer’ could forget where they are or how they got there.
Trouble Understanding Visual Images
Another way to spot Alzheimer’s Disease is that the senior might have some trouble understanding visual images. The eyes become much weaker and have issues relaying information from the eyes to the brain. Some issues caused by weakened vision are:
- Difficulty reading
- Judging distance,
- Determining colors and contrasts
- Driving problems
Difficulty Speaking and Writing
Alzheimer’s Disease will affect the senior’s ability to speak and write. Conversations with your senior loved one could become more difficult because the affected senior will forget what they are saying or what has already been said. The senior’s writing might also begin to decline. Their spelling, punctuation, and grammar would become noticeably worse. Also, their handwriting could possibly become increasingly more difficult to read.
Misplacing Items
Seniors demonstrating early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease will start to misplace items around their house regularly. They might place their things in unusual places and could possibly forget which place they put the item. They will forget where they left common items like the TV remote, documents, cash, and car keys. The senior might start becoming more visibly frustrated and start blaming others for stealing their items that they actually misplaced.
Call a Doctor
If you or your senior loved one experiences any of these symptoms, call a medical professional. They can direct you to the best possible route to take if Alzheimer’s is present. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, but there are many options that doctors can provide to help slow down the progression of this disease and make the symptoms easier to deal with, thus, improving the senior’s quality of life.
Visit Caregogi
While there is no concrete cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, there are possible solutions to make the senior’s life easier. Home care can be a solution that can help make home life much easier for any senior who is displaying early signs of Alzheimer’s. Home care can give the senior in your life the ability to remain independent at home by having the assistance of a compassionate caregiver who helps perform daily activities of living, like dressing, bathing, meal preparation, and much more. Caregogi provides home care for seniors by acting as an online matching service for seniors and independent caregivers. The best part is that Caregogi is half the cost of traditional agencies but still provides quality in home caregivers. Visit www.caregogi.com to find a caregiver that’s right for the senior in your life.