Forgetting where their glasses are or whether they have taken their medications is not uncommon among older adults and can raise concerns with loved ones. You may wonder whether these lapses in memory are simply due to aging or whether they indicate dementia or another serious condition.
Before you learn more, remember it’s important to mention any potential issues to your senior loved one’s doctor. Here are some signs of dementia versus those of normal aging.
Signs of Normal Aging
From time to time, forgetting about a scheduled doctor’s or social appointment, forgetting a person’s name or what day it is, but eventually being able to recall
Difficulty with a new task, or occasionally making a calculation error while adding up numbers or balancing a checkbook
Occasionally making a poor decision
Sometimes wanting to be left alone or not wanting to join a fun event or outing
Infrequently finding it difficult to find the right word during a conversation
Feeling agitated at disruption of their normal routine
Signs of Dementia
Significant and unsettling memory loss, such as an inability to remember the season
Forgetting about recent events
Misplacing things frequently
Needing alternate measures to recall common information, such as frequent reminder notes or assistance from a caregiver
Difficulty with ADLs or activities of daily living due to confusion, such as the forgetting to pay bills, follow a recipe, or reaching familiar locations
Regularly making poor judgments and decisions, such as neglecting personal hygiene or making large, impulsive purchases
Disassociating from friends and family, avoiding social activities and hobbies and pastimes they once enjoyed
Regular problems with speaking and writing
Forgetting what was being said mid-sentence
Increasingly frequent disorientation, frustration, annoyance, anxiety, confusion, and paranoia, even in familiar settings and even more so in unfamiliar ones
Personality or behavior changes
Inability to coordinate muscle movements or unsteady walking
Wandering aimlessly and getting lost
Rapid mood swings
If a senior’s doctor has given them a dementia diagnosis, the best way to help them is to seek a highly skilled, compassionate caregiver with specialized training and experience in dementia, such as HNTS in San Antonio.
If you are looking for the best skilled nursing services and skilled nursing services in San Antonio, call Home Nursing and Therapy Services at 210.822.8807 Today. With a mission to be the highest quality San Antonio primary home care agency, HNTS offers caregivers for multiple needs and ensure you and your loved ones lead a healthy and meaningful life through our nursing and therapy services.
