Ten common signs of dementia
Memory loss that disrupts your daily life could be a symptom of dementia. Dementia can affect your mood, behaviour, judgment and how you interact with family and friends. There are ten common signs of dementia. If you have any one of the ten signs, you should tell your GP.
Signs of ageing
Dementia is not part of natural ageing. It is important to distinguish between getting older and having a dementia.
Common signs of getting older include:
- forgetting names, appointments, or what day it is, but remember later
- making mistakes with money
- needing help sometimes to set a microwave or record a television show
- feeling low
- you don’t like changes to your routine
- your eyesight changes and you become long-sighted or develop cataracts
- not always remembering the exact word
- losing things
- you make the odd bad decision
- you’re reluctant to go out socially but are still socially active
Signs and symptoms of dementia
If you’re concerned you have any of the following ten symptoms, you should talk to your GP.
Memory loss that disrupts daily life
Forgetting recent events is a very common sign in most types of dementia, especially in the early stages.
Other signs someone might have dementia include:
- forgetting important dates
- repeating what they say
- relying more on reminder notes or electronic devices as memory aids
- needing help for things they used to do on their own
Difficulty in planning or solving problems
Some people may find it harder to:
- develop and follow a plan
- work with numbers
- follow a familiar recipe
- keep track of monthly bills
They may find it hard to concentrate or take longer to do things than they did before.
Difficulty completing familiar tasks
People with a dementia often have problems doing daily tasks, at home, work or at leisure. For example, they may find it hard to:
- drive to a familiar place
- manage a budget
- remember the rules of a favourite game
Changes in mood
When someone has a dementia, their mood can change. They can become:
- confused
- suspicious
- depressed
- fearful
- anxious
They might become easily upset:
- at home
- at work
- with friends
- in unfamiliar places
Confusion with time or place
Someone with a dementia can lose track of times and dates.
They may have trouble understanding something being planned in the future.
Sometimes they may feel confused about where they are.
Trouble with visual images and spatial relationships
Someone with a dementia may have problems:
- reading
- judging distance
- determining colour or contrast which could cause problems when driving
They may also have problems perceiving what they see (rather than how sharply they see it) due to changes in the brain rather than the eyes.
Problems speaking or writing
Someone with a dementia might find it hard to follow or join a conversation.
They might:
- stop speaking in the middle of a conversation
- find it hard to continue a conversation
- repeat what they say
- struggle to find the right word or call things by the wrong name, for example describing a “watch” as a “hand-clock”
Losing things
A person with a dementia may put things in unusual places.
They may lose things and be unable to retrace their steps to find what they've lost.
Sometimes this could cause them to be suspicious about other people. This behaviour can become more frequent over time.
Decreased or poor judgement
Someone with a dementia may experience changes in judgement or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgement when dealing with money.
They may pay less attention to their personal appearance.
Withdrawal from work or social activities
A person with a dementia might withdraw from social gatherings.
They might feel embarrassed or worried about:
- not following a conversation
- making mistakes in front of other people
This could make them feel isolated.
Help and support
You can find further information on dementia and support services available at the link below: