As family members get older, it’s normal to start worrying about whether or not they might be developing dementia as they age. Many people get scared about whether or not they’re losing their family members to a horrific disease that eats away at their memories one piece at a time. Since memory problems can become more frequent in old age, you might not be able to tell if your loved one is simply suffering from the typical memory problems that come with old age, or memory problems that are due to Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia that is developing inside their brains. Knowing the difference could help you decide whether your family member can continue living on their own or deciding that they need to visit rehab facilities in near me or wherever you live that offers a rehab facility with long term care. This article will look at the ways you can tell the difference between dementia and normal forgetfulness.
- Decision Making: One way to tell the difference between dementia and normal forgetfulness is observing your loved one’s decision making. When a person reaches old age, it’s completely normal for them to make a bad decision once in a while, like forgetting to put on a coat when it’s cold outside, or forgetting to take an umbrella with them. If these bad decisions happen once in a blue moon, that’s normal and not necessarily a sign of dementia. However, if these bad decisions are happening nearly all of the time, and consist of more extreme examples like forgetting to dress completely, or forgetting to eat a meal, these could be signs that dementia is forming and might require a visit to rehab facilities in near me or wherever you live.
- Losing Things: Another thing to look out for is how often your loved one misplaces something. In old age, it’s not uncommon for your loved ones to misplace items like their car keys, or a book, or even their glasses. These things can happen occasionally to anyone and are not necessarily a sign of dementia. However, if your loved one is losing lots of items almost all of the time, and can’t remember where they placed them, even after several days, that could be a sign of dementia.
- Losing Track of Time: Another symptom to look out for is whether your loved one is losing track of time. By this, I’m not referring to your loved one briefly forgetting what day or what time it is, only to remember a little while later. This can happen a lot in old age and doesn’t have to mean dementia. On the other hand, if you see your loved one losing complete track of time, not even realizing what month it is, that could be a sign that dementia is forming. In that case, you might need to seek out long term care facilities or find rehab facilities in near me or wherever you live that can help your loved one.
In conclusion, there are several ways you can tell the difference between dementia and normal forgetfulness. These include observing your loved one’s decision making skills, watching to see whether they lose things on a constant basis, and seeing whether they’re losing complete track of time or not. These are just a few of the signs you can look out for to see whether or not you’re beloved family member is beginning to be affected by the horrible ravages of dementia.