Dementia usually occurs in an aging population: nearly half of all people aged 85 or older have some type of dementia. Still, dementia is by no means a normal part of aging. Although dementia usually develops in people over the age of 65, it can also affect the younger population.
The early signs of dementia usually develop gradually and often vary and get confused as a normal part of aging. This can prevent you from noticing and recognizing dementia symptoms in your parent or another elderly person. The following early signs may be a signal that your loved one is developing dementia:
Cognitive and Language Symptoms
- Memory loss (a person typically has problems with forgetting details about recent events)
- Troubles with decision-making and problem-solving
- Troubles planning and doing everyday tasks
- Poor judgment
- Misplacing things
- Focus and concentration troubles
- Confusion about place and/or time
- A decline in visual perception
- Losing awareness of who they are
- Hallucinations and delusions
- Difficulties speaking or writing to a complete loss of ability to communicate
Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms
- Anxiety and depression
- Agitation and aggression
- Apathy and withdrawal from social contacts
- Personality changes
- Wandering and getting lost
- A decline in social skills
- A need for full-time assistance with daily activities
- A loss of physical abilities
- Incontinence
- difficulty swallowing
