It has been said that about 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 will develop dementia, and 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 already exhibit signs of dementia that directly affect their daily life. Worldwide, there are about 50 million people with dementia, with 10 million new cases reported each year.

Needless to say, dementia is becoming more prevalent. Understanding the early signs of the disease and the resources available for families caring for aging loved ones with the disease is incredibly important. While Charles Ford Retirement Community is not a memory care unit, we are dedicated to providing mild memory support for families and their loved ones and educating our community on the signs of dementia.

Early Signs of Dementia

The first way to begin educating yourself on dementia is to know and understand the early signs of the disease, and what we like to refer to as a “brain change”–a concept we recently learned about at the Mid America Institute on Aging Conference through dementia expert, Teepa Snow.

• Forgetting Important Dates / Events – As we age, we will forget names and appointments from time to time and remember them later. Forgetfulness that is most commonly associated with dementia will affect an elderly one’s daily life and requires a loved one to consistently remind them of appointments and special events.
• Challenges in Planning / Solving Problems – Seeing brain changes  in working with numbers, following recipe instructions, keeping track of monthly bills and daily medications–ultimately allowing it to take longer to do these simple problem solving tasks.
• Difficulty Completing Normal / Daily Tasks – Aging typically means we get a bit slower in completing our daily tasks. But, when dementia begins to take over, a loved one will forget how to prepare meals, how to brush their teeth, how to set a table or how to drive to a familiar location.
• Confusion With Time & Place – When dementia starts to set it, an elderly one may have difficulty remembering the current date or season. They may also think they are living in the past or forget how they got to a certain place.
• New Problems With Words, Reading or Writing – Another brain change associated with dementia is having trouble joining or following a conversation, struggling with normal vocabulary, or forgetting simple words or stopping in the middle of a conversation and not knowing where to pick up.
• Misplacing Things Often – Forgetting where everyday items are placed is common for the elderly, but with dementia-related brain changes this happens more often, and they aren’t able to retrace their steps–sometimes going as far as accusing others of stealing.
• Poor Judgement or Decision Making – We all make poor judgements every once in a while, but for the elderly, it can be an early sign of memory loss. Pay attention to your loved ones if they begin to wear summer clothes during winter months, fail to care about personal hygiene or give large amounts of money to telemarketers.
• Socially Withdrawn – A loved one may have trouble keeping up with a favorite hobby or sport or may avoid being social because of the recent brain changes they’ve experienced.
• Changes in Mood or Personality – Frequent feelings of suspiciousness, depression, fearfulness or anxiousness are often symptoms related to dementia-related brain changes.
• Being Overly Repetitive – Another early sign of dementia in the elderly is repeating daily tasks, collecting things obsessively or repeating the same questions within a conversation.

Understanding these signs can be beneficial to the health of the elderly. Early detection can help slow the progression of cognitive decline, increase overall quality of life and aid in the caregiving process.

The Importance of Memory Care

Memory care is a special kind of care provided to those with varying degrees of memory loss. It involves creating a structured environment that has set schedules and routines in place to create a stress-free lifestyle, safety features to ensure their health and programs designed to cultivate their cognitive skills. There are several reasons why pursuing memory care for a loved one is a great option.

Memory care provides that extra social support that’s needed during such a crucial time. At Charles Ford, while we are not able to provide this type of specialized service, our staff is available 24/7 to provide the care and the mild memory support your loved one needs. We also provide a wide selection of beginning-stage cognitive care, including playing games and performing activities that help lessen the intensity of memory loss. These activities engage their minds frequently–something they wouldn’t get regularly while living at home alone. Schedule a tour to learn more about the full line of services at Charles Ford Retirement Community.