Recognize the Signs of Early Memory Loss in Your Elderly Parent

During the early stages of the disease, people suffer from memory impairment so mild that few people will notice. Loss of word-finding ability is commonly the first language difficulty reported in the disease, and at first this is only noticeable for infrequently used words or words with multiple or subtle meanings. Despite this difficulty and the occasional omission of meaningful words, people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease are generally able to communicate effectively using correct grammar and syntax. Patients may forget seldom-used names of distant acquaintances, phone numbers, and conversations or details of recent events, and may misplace keys or other items, but often these lapses go unnoticed by observers.

Often, the patient may hide the symptoms from their loved ones because they want to remain independent or burden them. A common ploy is to use scripts that seem socially acceptable. In a group conversation for example they might now and then interject with phrases like “Really?”, “Is that so…?” that make them appear as if they are participating effectively., When meeting people for the first time, they might resort to some scripts such as introducing themselves and then delving into asking the new acquaintance questions about themselves – effectively hiding the need to respond appropriately to any question.

As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer's disease have a hard time finding the right words, and they speak with growing reluctance. It becomes more difficult for them to pay attention, to reason, and to understand abstract concepts. For example, they may experience minor difficulties with calcu¬lations, such as those required to balance a checkbook or es¬timate how much a cartload of groceries costs, and they may have difficulty understanding complex or new ideas. They begin to lose their ability to operate appliances and must be assisted, and they may also begin to drive less safely. At some point patients become disoriented in time and place so they often need to be reminded what day it is or be given direc¬tions to get to places that were once familiar. Furthermore, the personalities of people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease may change subtly. They may show indifference, lack of initiative, or passivity. A once-talkative person may become quiet or withdrawn, or a mild-mannered, compassionate person may appear to be indifferent, insensitive, or aggressive.

With Alzheimer’s disease, there are cognitive and behavioral impairment symptoms that we need to watch out for in our loved ones:

• Difficulties with ordinary tasks and daily activities – forgetting appointments, directions, or other activities such as: starting the water for a shower and then while leaving the water running getting dressed without taking a shower; problems balancing a checkbook that the individual used to be able to balance; problems with meal preparation or cleanup.
• Making unusual decisions or acting inappropriately.
• Difficulty learning new things- still returning to an old address rather than a new address.
• Dependency – fear of leaving familiar surroundings; suspicious of the activities of others; overly dependent on others such as familiar family members, but occasionally even strangers.
• Social withdrawal, apathy, and passivity – a loss of interest in activities or friends; tendency to sit watching television or staring into space; sleeping more than usual; speaking and communicating little.

These changes are not sudden, but slowly and progressively become more apparent over many months.

No single behavior can be called characteristic or diagnostic of Alzheimer’s disease. However, an individual who has several of these behavioral symptoms likely is experiencing something other than just the normal brain aging process. That something could well be dementia - used to describe the progressive loss of intellectual abilities as seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

Recognizing these symptoms early will allow for medical intervention and improvement in the quality of remaining life for your loved ones.

Related Articles

• The Biggest Problem with Current Alzheimer's Disease Treatment — Late Diagnosis
• 5 Truths That Spawned 5 Myths About Alzheimer's & Dementia
• Alzheimer's Disease or Depression? Why Getting an Accurate Diagnosis Isn't Always Easy
• Is it Old Age or Dementia?
• Separating Fact from Fallacy: Is It Alzheimer's or Aging?
• The Surprising Truth: What is Normal Memory Loss Versus Alzheimer's Disease?