Almost half a million Australians are impacted by dementia. This number is estimated to double over the next four decades. Dementia is the umbrella term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities, and it usually happens with age related brain degeneration. It is the leading cause of disease burden for those aged 65 and older. And it’s one of the cruelest diseases out there.
Like most medical conditions, catching the early signs of dementia helps to manage the condition better, and slow down its progression.
An early diagnosis for dementia can prove difficult as they can be subtle, according to Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe AM. But memory loss is usually the first giveaway.
Common early signs of dementia include:
- Memory loss.
- Changes in planning and problem-solving abilities.
- Difficulty completing everyday tasks.
- Confusion about time or place.
- Trouble understanding what we see (objects, people) and distances, depth and space in our surroundings.
- Difficulty with speech, writing or comprehension.
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
- Decreased or poor judgement.
- Withdrawal from work or social activities.
- Changes in mood and personality.
While the features of dementia are often classified into three stages, it’s important to note that these phases will not present the same in each person.
“People with dementia differ in the patterns of problems they have, and the speed with which their abilities deteriorate,” says Maree. “A person with dementia’s abilities may change from day to day, or even within the same day. What is certain though is that the person’s abilities will deteriorate; this may happen rapidly in a period of a few months or slowly over a number of years.”
The early signs of dementia can be easy to miss, and often put down to old age. “Often this phase is only apparent in hindsight,” Maree says. “The onset of dementia is usually very gradual and it is often impossible to identify the exact time it began.”
A person with early stage dementia may:
Appear more apathetic, with less sparkle.
- Lose interest in hobbies and activities.
- Be unwilling to try new things.
- Be unable to adapt to change.
- Show poor judgement and make poor decisions.
- Be slower to grasp complex ideas and take longer with routine jobs.
- Blame others for “stealing” lost items.
- Become more self-centered and less concerned with others and their feelings.
- Become more forgetful of details of recent events.
- Be more likely to repeat themselves or lose the thread of their conversation.
- Be more irritable or upset if they fail at something.
- Have difficulty handling money.
