Early Signs Of Dementia You Don't Want To Ignore
- chelsie462
- Dec 3, 2024
- 8 min read
This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/etHuoScYHw8
Brad: Now we are not dementia experts. However, Dr. Nathan Chin is, and we're going to take information from his interview with Mike.
Mike: Yeah, so Dr. Nathaniel Chin works for the University of Wisconsin and he is a geriatrician who is an expert in Alzheimer's disease as well as dementia. So all these tips we got from him today. He also has his own podcast called, "Dementia Matters" If you want to check that out as well.
Brad: So these 13 warning signs, you'll find that maybe you do have one of these signs, but you need to have a number of them and they need to be changed from your baseline. Can you explain the baseline?
Mike: So your baseline is if you have trouble say, remembering names and you've had that your entire life and it didn't really vary, that's not a sign of dementia. However, say you used to remember everyone's name no matter what, and now you struggle to find even a close family member's name, that would be a good sign. So first is cognitive disturbances. So this is persistent changes in your thinking pattern. What this often reflects is you have trouble concentrating on things that used to be easy for you or you have trouble making decisions, you don't know which one to choose when that used to be something very easy as well.
Brad: Number two is functional decline. A good example of this is struggling while you're perhaps making something in the kitchen, reading a recipe where prior to this that was not a problem and now it is a problem. Getting dressed independently. That's something I can relate to. I have someone I know who is going through this right now and needs assistance. Getting dressed was never a problem in the past.
Mike: So oftentimes the functional decline is a cognitive issue and not a physical issue. Third is observational changes. So this is when someone else, whether a family member or a friend notices that you are having issues thinking and processing things, or maybe you even have behavioral changes compared to your norm.
Brad: So in other words, the person doesn't realize they're having the changes, but the family members or friends clearly think, "Oh, there are some changes here and something we need to address."
Mike: Fourth is memory impairment, and what this means is oftentimes you struggle to remember recent conversations and you might actually start repeating the same questions you've been asking someone.
Brad: Right, and another thing I'm thinking like, because I forget things all the time, I don't think I have a problem with dementia. However, a good example, I forget my keys all over the place. Now that's one thing, but if you forget you have a car, that's another thing.
Mike: Yes, much more of a major event than what normally occurs.
Brad: Language difficulty, challenges finding certain words to express yourself. Doing this verbally. Now this is something I fight with quite a bit, even here as we do videos. So again, it's towards a baseline, how things were in the recent history and how things are going if there's a big change and you just cannot communicate well.
Mike: Something that also falls under this category is recalling someone's name that you've always known. You could stare at them, think and think and think and cannot recall it until they remind you and then maybe you forget it two minutes later again. That's a big sign. Number six is attention and focused issues. So oftentimes if you're reading a book, watching TV or someone's telling you a story, you have trouble following the narrative and paying attention and concentrating on what is going on. However, if you've always had these issues for whatever reason and nothing's changed, that's not a sign. But if you used to be really good at memorizing something someone just told you and now you cannot, that is a big warning sign.
Brad: That's right. Okay, the next one is misplacing items around the house or wherever. In other words, you put something somewhere it does not belong. There's no reason, rhyme, or reason why you put it there. And later on, "Why did I put it there?" Now, this is one of those things that can happen. Now, if it's one thing where you're thinking about doing another project, you have your socks in your hand and then you put the socks in the refrigerator, but it's not because you were thinking of that, it was because your mind was off trying to solve another problem. So you have to, you know, figure out why did you misplace the item. Whether your mind was somewhere else or you just, your mind was nowhere.
Mike: And oftentimes, it's not a one-time occurrence. It happens more frequently. It could be many items all throughout your house or wherever you're at. You forget where they are, and misplace them all the time. It has to be very frequent.
Brad: Alright, the next one. This is a real psychological way of putting it, executive functioning challenges. Mike, can you help me out with that?
Mike: So you're struggling with multitasking or problem-solving. Oftentimes, it's more of like, a logical sequential order of things, for example, how do I get dressed in the morning? Can you not remember that I had to put on my underwear first, then my pants, then my socks, then my shoes? Maybe you can recall the items, but you have no idea what order to put them in and what you typically do. Things are there, but they're not in order logistically. It can be anything, that's just one example.
Brad: And the next one is medication management problems. In other words, trying to remember or figure out a system when to take your medications, how many pills to take, and doing that consistently, day to day. Where people get it mixed up, they'll take double the amount or maybe take them in the morning at seven o'clock and then take them again at nine o'clock because you didn't remember you took them at seven o'clock. Alright, the next one, is financial management difficulties. Now, we're not referring to the person who has impulse buying problems, goes out, and just buys things because they want it. This is about looking at your checkbook, managing it, and getting things down in an orderly manner. Mike?
Mike: Oftentimes things like forgetting to pay your bills or maybe paying a bill twice because you forgot it. Forgetting how to actually balance your checkbook or even if you check on your banking account like me, forgetting how to even do that. Oftentimes it leads to financial instability of sorts. So those are common signs.
Brad: Number 11, appointment management issues. Keeping things organized. This is one of those things where many people have this, you need to have your paper, now on your cell phone, go to the appointment management, put 'em in order, and refer back to it. Some people can have problems with even doing that, keeping organized. Mike?
Mike: Now, obviously, if you have a calendar routine, that's a good plan. That's what I do, I see my things on the calendar that way I can remember them consistently. However, say you make an appointment for later that day and you completely forget about it, that's more of a sign. Or if it's day to day and you completely forgot you even made that appointment. Like say, I made a dentist appointment tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, no idea it was even there. That's more of a sign. If you just happen to forget a date or time, that's not so much of a big issue.
Brad: Right, it's when you forget to put it on your calendar.
Mike: Or you even make it.
Brad: Right.
Mike: Next, if you've noticed a big emotional impact on yourself. So if you have more anxiety or depression or just consistent mood changes throughout the day, this could be a sign of dementia as well. Oftentimes, you know, you may have known a loved one that had Alzheimer's or dementia and you have seen that, I personally have in some of my family members.
Brad: That's right, so these emotional flare-ups where two, three years ago, a person didn't mind if they got somewhere late or something out of the ordinary happened. And now it happens, anxiety and emotional distress come about in a much larger fashion.
Mike: Number 13 is social withdrawal. So if someone was very active, liked being around people and going to events, and now they don't want to go to any events, be around people, oftentimes it's because they know maybe they're getting forgetful and they don't want to feel embarrassed or they just don't want to talk as much anymore. This is a common sign.
Brad: Alright, so these 13 signs, some of them overlap, some of them feel like maybe you have them or not. But if you want to get the information right from the doctor and really help differentiate and clear this up, where can they go, Mike?
Mike: You can check out the video "The Differences Between Alzheimer's & Dementia." It's actually a podcast interview I did with Dr. Nathaniel Chin. And in this video, we talk about the differences between Alzheimer's and dementia, as well as a whole host of other things.
Brad: How long is it?
Mike: About an hour.
Brad: It's about an hour, yeah, so take some time out, and listen to it. When you get the information from an expert, it's going to be a little more helpful than our list.
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