Dementia consists of a group of symptoms that affects thinking and memory so severely that it interferes with a person’s daily routine. Dementia is NOT a single disease. The most common type of dementia that is found in older folks is Alzheimer’s disease, which there is no cure. The cause of dementia is the result of damaged nerve cells and their relationships to the patient’s brain. A few risk factors include age, family history, diet, exercise, and smoking.

There are a few early symptoms of dementia that health experts recommend to look out for:

1. Memory loss
A decline in memory can be caused by aging, but that is not always the case. Having a normal decline in memory should not prevent someone from living their life to the fullest. It is important to not get normal forgetfulness mixed up with an early sign of dementia. If memory loss is indeed disrupting a person’s quality of life, it may be an early symptom of dementia. The result of memory loss due to dementia can have a negative effect on a patient’s life by causing them to forget important information. The patient may repeat questions that have already been answered, mix up their words, or even become lost in unfamiliar territory. Changes to how the patient behaves and feels will also be noticable. Since dementia is progressive, it will gradually become clearer that a patient has indeed developed dementia.

2. Problem solving difficulties
The ability to solve complex problems can occur for those with progressing dementia. Patients will have trouble concentrating on a single task, such as following a simple grocery list. Attempting to make a plan and follow through with it will be nearly impossible depending on how far the dementia has progressed. Since problem solving is a process of trial and error, patients with dementia will have a hard time remembering the solutions that worked, and the ones that failed. A good strategy to help the patient is to jot down notes.

3. Confusion about time and place
Those who are suffering from dementia may forget where they live, get easily lost, and lose track of dates. The passage of time and seasons can get mixed up in a patient’s head, especially if they have Alzheimer’s disease. For example, some patients may feel that five hours had passed when in reality, only five minutes went by. The patient’s internal clock has been disrupted and this symptom lowers their quality of life. Many other patients have even gotten lost in their own home, which is why some require a designated caretaker. An important reaction caretakers should be aware of is that the patient will most likely have a huge increase in their anxiety.