How To Spot The Early Signs Of Alzheimers

Alzheimer’s is a condition that affects the brain resulting in the gradual decline of memory, thinking and reasoning skills, it is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive disease, so symptoms can get worse over time, gradually becoming more severe.

Spotting the symptoms early is key to being able to plan and prepare any Alzheimer’s care for the future as well as seeking any treatment or support that might help.

What are some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s?

Memory loss

One of the most common symptoms which we all associate with Alzheimer’s, is memory loss. Obviously, some memory loss is normal as we grow older, but Alzheimer’s related memory loss can begin to cause disruption to daily life, such as forgetting recently learned information, important dates such a birthdays and anniversaries or asking the same questions over and over again.

Planning or solving problems

You may also notice that someone begins to have difficulty with planning or solving problems, such as following a familiar recipe, paying or working out their monthly bills. You may notice their concentration waning, or it takes much longer for them to do simple or familiar tasks. They may also get into difficulty with things such as driving to a familiar location or putting together their shopping list.

Trouble holding a conversation

You might find they have trouble following a conversion, either stopping in the middle of sentences or repeating themselves. They might forget words for things or confuse words with others. They might also demonstrate poor judgement which is out of character.

Losing track of time and confusion

Alzheimer’s can also mean they easily lose track of time, becoming confused with dates, seasons or the time, they might forget where they are or how they got there. You may notice they are misplacing and losing things more often, as Alzheimer’s progresses, this might turn to accusations of having had items hidden or stolen from them.

Changes in mood or personality

One of the most common things to experience and notice is changes in mood or personality, you might find they get easily confused, depressed or anxious – this can be a particularly hard symptom to deal with. You may notice they are withdrawing from activities they once enjoyed and are paying less attention to personal hygiene and their presentation.

Who can suffer from Alzheimer’s?

The symptoms above will usually begin mildly before getting worse over time. Alzheimer’s is most common in those over 65, affecting 1 in 14 over 65 and 1 in 6 over 80. However, some people might experience these symptoms earlier in life with 1 in 20 cases in those ages 40-65.

As symptoms progress, it may not be possible for someone to live alone safely or for a family carer to be able to handle all of the caring responsibilities themselves due to work commitments or their own wellbeing.

Specialist Alzheimer’s care from Live In Solutions

Live In Solutions can provide specialist Alzheimer’s care on either a live-in or visiting care basis to ensure the client’s needs are met. Our carers can provide assistance with things such as preparing food, helping with personal care or keeping someone company to ensure they don’t panic or reassuring them when they forget where they are and ensuring they do not harm or injure themselves.

Our home care services ensure that someone living with Alzheimer’s is able to remain in a familiar environment which can be important for their memory and help them to feel more at ease. If you would like to find out more about the care we can provide, please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have or to arrange a free consultation.