We’re all prone to moments of forgetfulness. As we get older, our memory may start to slip more frequently. Mild forgetfulness is usually nothing to worry about, but if it gets more severe, it could be a sign of something more serious such as dementia.
Whether you’re diagnosing yourself or a loved one, the following scenarios may help you to determine whether you should be concerned,
Struggling to find the right words
Many of us have experienced that annoying tip-of-the-tongue moment when you can’t quite remember a name or word. For those with dementia, this can happen often – even with relatively simple words.
If people are constantly having to finish your sentences, it could be a warning sign that you may be in the early stages of dementia. It may also be a concern if you’re regularly forgetting names of people close to you.
Forgetting how to do routine tasks
There may be certain tasks that you or your loved one do on a regular basis. Forgetting how to do one of these tasks could be another warning sign that something isn’t right. This could include forgetting to pay bills if you’re usually financially organised or even forgetting to eat breakfast or get dressed.
It’s worth noting that if you’re going through a busy or stressful you may easily forget to do such tasks and it may have nothing to do with dementia. Extreme fatigue can also make people forget certain tasks within their morning routine.
Getting lost in familiar places
People with dementia can sometimes get lost in familiar places. This could include forgetting the way home despite driving it every day or not being able to find one’s way around a relative’s house that you visit often.
In the early stages of dementia, people will tend to realise that these are familiar places but may simply mix up roads or rooms. Sometimes we all have the occasional blip where we go the wrong way, but it shouldn’t be something that happens regularly.
Changes in personality
If memory loss is accompanied by changes in personality, this could also be a sign of something more serious. This may not be something that you yourself notice, but your friends and family may pick up on signs such as being unusually irritable or not showing enthusiasm for things you once loved.
Changes in personality alone can be a symptom of all kinds of mental disorder. Frequent forgetful behaviour accompanies by changes in personality is when you know that’s dementia.
Putting oneself in danger
If you or a loved one is putting themselves in danger by forgetting things, it could be a sign that more serious help is needed. This could include letting food burn in the oven or forgetting how to drive whilst in the car.
You may have to look into dementia support and consider some form of constant supervision in these cases. This can be hard to accept if you’re still very compos mentis, but you may need to accept if memory slips are putting you life or other people’s lives at risk.
Have you seen a doctor?
Your doctor may be able to run tests for dementia. This could help to give you an official diagnosis. Some people are scared of facing the truth, but if you catch it early enough, you may be able to take measures to delay it. There are a lot of positive studies that show taking part in certain mental exercises and eating certain foods (such as those rich in omega-3) can slow down symptoms of dementia.
