A common memory condition affecting seniors, Alzheimer’s disease is easier to treat when it’s detected in its early stages, which is why family caregivers and their senior loved ones should be on alert for symptoms of the disease. To ensure you’re able to detect Alzheimer’s in your loved one, read on to learn about some of the most common symptoms.
1. Difficulty with Conversations
Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease frequently have difficulty participating in conversations and may lose their trains of thought, repeat themselves, or forget the names of familiar people and objects. Instead of saying “watch,” a senior with Alzheimer’s might say “that thing I put on my wrist.”
2. Difficulty with Familiar Tasks
Individuals with Alzheimer’s may have difficulty remembering how to perform basic daily tasks. This problem is most apparent when tasks involve numbers or a series of steps. If your loved one has Alzheimer’s, he or she may forget the route to the doctor’s office, how to write a check, or the rules for a favorite card game.
Caring for senior loved ones can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. Family caregivers can turn to Home Care Assistance for the help they need. We provide high-quality live-in and respite care as well as comprehensive Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care.
3. Increased Isolation
People with Alzheimer’s often remove themselves from activities and situations they used to enjoy. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, seniors are often aware they’re experiencing increased confusion and disorientation. As a result, they sometimes become afraid others will notice the changes, so they prefer to remain in familiar or controlled environments.
4. Memory Loss
It’s natural to occasionally forget a name or appointment only to remember it later, but seniors with Alzheimer’s often find themselves forgetting recently learned information or things that are common knowledge. If you have to regularly remind your loved one about familiar or basic pieces of information, this may be more than normal memory loss.
5. Difficulty Remembering the Date & Time
People with Alzheimer’s typically have difficulty keeping track of the passage of time. They frequently forget the month, season, or even the year and may experience feelings of being transported back to years past. Some seniors have episodes during which they believe they’re still in their teens or twenties and become disoriented and upset when certain individuals are no longer around or other things have changed.
6. Personality Changes
Alzheimer’s disease leads to the deterioration and death of brain cells, which causes brain function to diminish over time. When their brains cease to function normally, seniors with Alzheimer’s can experience alterations in their personalities.
Your loved one may develop various Alzheimer’s-related personality changes such as sudden anger, extreme anxiety, frequent pacing or crying, and belligerence. If you’re not able to help your loved one handle these changes, especially if he or she starts to hit other people or become aggressive, talk with his or her physician about treatment options.
A trained professional caregiver can be a fantastic resource when it comes to helping your loved one handle agitation, confusion, frustration, and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s. There are many reasons seniors might need assistance at home. Some may require regular mental stimulation due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, while others might only need part-time assistance with exercise and basic household tasks. Home Care Assistance is a leading Auburn homecare provider. Families rely on our expertly trained caregivers to help their senior loved ones maintain a high quality of life.
7. Wandering
Alzheimer’s can cause seniors to experience confusion and become disoriented. Your loved one may think it’s time to go to work or say he or she wants to go home although he or she is already there.
Wandering is often caused by uncertainty and fear, so if your loved one starts to become anxious, begins pacing, or exhibits other signs that suggest the potential for wandering behavior, reassure him or her and gently direct your loved one out of harm’s way.
If your loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, help is just a phone call away. For reliable Alzheimer’s care, Auburn families can turn to Home Care Assistance. We are a leading provider of professional memory care designed to help seniors maintain a higher quality of life. In addition to Alzheimer’s care, we also provide comprehensive dementia, Parkinson’s, and stroke care. From revolutionary care programs to compassionate and dedicated caregivers, we can meet all of your Alzheimer’s care needs. To create a customized home care plan for your loved one, call Home Care Assistance at (334) 744-7100 today.