Signs of Early Dementia – How to wear it & what to do

With access to better health care, Americans live longer than before. In fact, the National Council about the estimated aging that adults over the age of 65 will form more than 20% of our population in 2040.

If you take care of relatives who are aged or head to your golden year, you are most likely to have thought of the best way of life, as long as possible.

We turned to an expert for Answer: Laurie Archbald-Pannone, MD, a Geriatric Medicine Specialist at UVA Health.

Read on to learn tips and information about healthy aging, including signs of memory loss that must be considered and when to talk to providers about any concerns you have.

Normal aging sign

First and especially, rest assured that memory changes are truly normal as we get older. Archbald-Pannone explained that seniors often experience problems with how well and quickly they remember information.

“As you get older, attract information from the back of your mind your mind can take longer,” said Archbald-Pannone. “For example, if someone in the senior years of their seniors met someone they had never seen in a few decades in the grocery store, it was not uncommon for them to need time to remember that person’s name.”

Archbald-Pannone also said that it was normal to make your key or call from time to time or to call someone with the name of a friend or other relatives. He explained that our brains work in various ways, and it can be a sign of disorder or feel tired than the symptoms of dementia.

“It is normal to process information a little slower as we get older and to sort information differently than we do in our young years,” Archbe-Pannone said. “Many seniors will see changes in how well they can do many tasks, and that is also something we expect to be seen at a certain level.”

Early signs of dementia to watch

While some changes are a normal part and expected from aging, Archbald-Pannone said that the others did not. Regarding change usually affects a person’s ability to live or function independently.

“A good example of a change to watch is if someone has lived in the same house for 20 or 30 years and they need to start using a navigation system to get to the grocery store,” explained Archbald-Pannone. “Another abnormal change is if someone has difficulty remembering someone they see or talk to regularly.”

Daily life activities to be monitored

Dementia is a broad term, and Archbald-Pannone says that it generally changes one’s ability to care for themselves. This usually means there is a problem with the instrumental activity of daily life (IADLS.)

IADLS includes the following tasks:

• Shopping for food ingredients, household goods, and public tasks
• Manage money and pay bills
• Traveling, whether by driving or using public transportation
• Household activities such as cleaning and laundry
• Cook or set the delivery or take-out
• Communicate with telephone or email
• Filling the prescription and taking medicine according to the direction

“What is this skill boiling is the ability to complete tasks such as buying food, paying it, taking it home, preparing it, and cleaning yourself,” said Archbald-Pannone. “This is an important task that allows someone to live independently.”

In addition, a decline in daily life activities (ADLS) is also something that must be considered. ADLS including tasks such as:

• Bathing and dress
• Tour your house safely
• Using a room
• Personal cleanliness
• Eat precisely

When to see the provider

Cognitive changes that might suggest dementia not occur overnight. Archbald-Pannone says that changes often occur slowly, and may be difficult to show precisely when they start.

He stressed that if you see the fast onset confusion or a quick decline in one of the skills listed above, it is important to see the medical provider immediately. There are other conditions, such as infection, mental health disorders, head injuries, thyroid disorders, or drug interactions, which can cause similar symptoms.

It is also important to track your medicine and tell your doctor about supplements, vitamins, or free drugs that you drink.

If you have the initial signs of dementia, medical providers can offer playback and referral for further evaluation if needed. Archbald-Pannone said that diagnosing dementia was complex, and could not be done without proper evaluation.

“Dementia is a medical condition that has an impact on real people and real families,” reminded Archbald-Pannone. “Giving label people as dementia when there is no diagnosis that does not help. Dementia is not something that can be diagnosed from a distance based on several behaviors.”

Healthy aging tip

Although there are many medical and scientific communities still learning about dementia and what causes it, there are several ways that are tried and true to maintain your health and memory as long as possible. And Archbald-Pannone said that there was no substitute for a healthy diet, a lot of hydration, and sports.

“Stay physically active increases blood flow to your brain, keeps your brain involved, and can improve cognitive function,” he explained. “Your brain also needs nutrition and water is functioning properly.”

Other tips include maintaining your social activities. Archbald-Pannone said that spending time with friends and loved ones, and having regular conversations is a good way to increase the strength of your brain.

That’s because your brain does a lot of work interpreting facial expressions, measuring one’s mood, or anticipating their reactions. Peka -teki, games, and learning new skills can also help. It is also important to treat or improve hearing or loss of vision because it can affect your overall cognition and lead to social isolation.

“Relationships with our loved ones and believe are very important,” said Archbald-Pannone. “In addition to keeping us engaged, it is very helpful to have someone who is looking for us as we get older.”