|  | Conditions Treatments | Alzheimers

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's can be a cruel experience, not only for people with the disease, but for their family and friends as well. People with Alzheimer's need loving care and support to help them through the rough patches. It can be difficult, however, to discern between old age and the start of the disease. There are certain warning signs that let a family know when to get help.

  1. Memory Loss That Disrupts Lifestyle

    • Everyone forgets things occasionally, but if a loved one is forgetting milestones such as birthday or how to perform a regular chore, then she may be experiencing the first signs of Alzheimer's. To compensate for this, she may rely heavily on memory aides such as sticky notes or timers to help her get through her day.

    Inability to Complete Routine Tasks

    • You may notice that your loved one cannot complete certain tasks anymore. She may start washing the dishes and walk away from the sink, or be at a loss at how to turn on the clothes dryer.

    Difficulty Making Plans or Solving Problems

    • A person with Alzheimer's disease may not be able to plan her day anymore. If she was an avid fan of crossword puzzles, she suddenly may not be able to figure out the first five clues. Her ability to think abstractly diminishes noticeably.

    Difficulty Communicating

    • At the onset of Alzheimer's, a person with the disease may not be able to finish stories or sentences he has started. He may repeat himself continuously, or not be able to remember it was he was talking about. It's not that he cannot find the right words; his train of thought is simply broken and cannot be recovered.

    Confusion About Time and Place

    • Everyone forgets what day it is occasionally, but a person with Alzheimer's will forget the day, the month or even the year. He will move back and forth in time. He may think it is winter when there is a heat wave outside. He may go for a walk, and then forget where he is, how he got there, or where he's going.

    Poor Spatial and Visual Judgment

    • People with Alzheimer's may develop vision problems, such as poor depth perception, which in turn can impede their reading skills. They also may lose their ability to see color.

    Misplacing Ordinary Objects

    • The normal daily routine of a person with Alzheimer's comes undone, and ordinary things like keys, a purse or a container of milk can end up in extraordinary places like the bathroom medicine chest, the freezer or a trash can. Her life becomes more scattered, too, as she cannot remember where things are or where they should go.

    Poor Decision-Making Skills

    • A person with Alzheimer's may use poor judgment when making decisions that had never been a problem before. Previously frugal people may spend large sums of money on seemingly useless items. Someone that had been meticulous about their diet or appearance will now eat or dress poorly because they can't decide what to eat or what to wear.

    Social Withdrawal

    • People with Alzheimer's disease may feel embarrassed about their inability to cope with real life, their forgetfulness and their appearance. It is a frightening world for the one who cannot remember himself. As a result, they will shut themselves off and shy away from public interaction.

    Change in Personality

    • The most heartbreaking warning sign to cope with, and the mot difficult to ignore, is a change of personality. A person with Alzheimer's simply will not be herself anymore. If she was kind and jovial before, she may be continually angry or upset now. She may not recognize close friends or family members, and treat one of them like a complete stranger, or unwelcome and unwanted guest.

Alzheimers - Related Articles