As older adults continue to age, it can be difficult for both them and their loved ones to distinguish between the signs and symptoms associated with ‘normal’ aging, such as stress and cognitive decline, and a common precursor to dementia called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – especially when it’s in its very early stages. There are over 100 different causes of dementia, but many are correctable such as delirium, drug side effects and metabolic disorders. There are four main causes of incurable dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy body, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia, including Pick’s disease. The boundaries behind these types are often blurred because a person may have more than one type at a time. Alzheimer’s is by far the most prevalent, accounting for 60 to 80% of all cases, but when it occurs in conjunction with vascular dementia, the percentage climbs to over 90%. It’s normal to want to be optimistic and dismiss early signs and symptoms, but if memory lapses are consistent enough to cause concern, it’s best to be proactive and get help. In many cases, there may be an underlying cause that’s correctable.

“Spending a few days with an aging parent or loved one is a good way to see how they’re doing and where they might need a little more support,” says Beverly Sanborn, Vice President of Program Development at Belmont Village Senior Living. “We often hear from family members that they’ve seen signs of concern that aren’t readily apparent in routine phone calls or quick visits.”

10 Warning Signs of Memory Loss:

1. Short-Term Memory Loss
   
   Your loved one may struggle with recalling recent activities, information, conversations, and events. They may forget what they ate for lunch, repeat statements they had made within the last hours or minutes as if they had never verbalized it, repeatedly ask the same question(s) with no recollection of doing so recently, forget where they left something, or forget what they were about to say.
2. Social Withdrawal
   
   For an aging body and brain, social isolation can exacerbate and hasten cognitive decline. Older adults who are isolated and feel lonely may start to have trouble keeping up with conversations or social interactions and often stop talking mid-conversation as they struggle to find the right words. As a result, they often withdraw from social activities and lose touch with friends or family.
3. Changes in Personality or Behavior
   
   Early stages of dementia and mental health decline may often manifest in uncharacteristic abrupt personality change, mood swings and a tendency to be combative or rude if provoked by situations that bring on feelings of overwhelm or confusion, poor decision-making skills or uncharacteristic anxiety, fearfulness and paranoia are common early symptoms.
4. Depression
   
   You may notice your loved one sleeping or crying more often than usual. They may feel and seem lonely, sad, depressed, and hopeless. Another tell-tale sign of this is a tendency for the afflicted person to stop participating in activities they used to love.
5. Extreme Forgetfulness
   
   Misplacing things from time to time or forgetting a random name/date is considered normal forgetfulness. However, misplacing and finding keys in unusual places like the freezer, having trouble re-tracing steps, or forgetting to turn off the stove may be early signs of dementia.
6. Changes in Personal Care & Hygiene
   
   A person with dementia may experience significant and easily noticeable weight loss due to irregular dietary patterns and eating habits. You may also notice them struggling with self-care in their daily life, such as bathing less frequently or wearing the same clothes repeatedly without washing them.
7. Disorientation
   
   People suffering from dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease, may often become confused and disoriented regarding how they perceive time and place. For instance, they may forget and lose track of the day, year, or season that they are currently living in. They may get lost easily and forget where they are or how they got there.
8. Incorrectly Taking Medications
   
   People with dementia may neglect their health care due to loss of cognitive ability and reasoning. For example, they may forget to take their daily medications, causing them to skip prescribed doses. Likewise, they may forget that they’ve already taken their medicine and end up taking multiple doses, which can put them at risk of an overdose.
9. Decreased Ability to Perform Simple and Familiar Tasks
   
   A person may start having difficulty with routine daily tasks, such as driving, keeping track of their spending, or organizing a grocery list. They may also lack follow-through in the sense that they may begin an activity or task and quickly forget what they are doing.
10. Poor Home Maintenance
    
    Signs of memory impairment may exhibit themselves in the current state of their home and housekeeping abilities. You may see piles of dirty clothes and dishes around the house, forgotten laundry which has been sitting in a washer or dryer for days, and unsorted mail. In extreme cases, clutter can accumulate to the point that it becomes a health and safety issue.

“If you’re seeing any of these signs, Belmont Village’s ‘Is this dementia?’ assessment can help you gauge the seriousness of your loved one’s condition and help you to determine the appropriate next steps, such as scheduling a professional assessment, exploring treatment options, speaking with a doctor, or reaching out to a Belmont Village Senior Living Care Advisor,” adds Sanborn. “Early diagnosis and treatment for cognitive decline, such as Belmont Village Senior Living’s proprietary, award-winning Circle of Friends^® program, can help a person function at their highest and most fulfilling ability level and will possibly slow the progression of dementia. Belmont’s Whole-Brain-Fitness approach to senior care, which involves mental stimulation, socialization, and a healthy lifestyle helps seniors build cognitive reserve, allowing seniors to maintain function and higher quality of life.”

Visit the Belmont Village Senior Living Dementia Resource website or call (844) 706-CARE. The Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline is also available around the clock, 365 days a year at (800) 272-3900.

About Belmont Village Senior Living

Now celebrating 25 years, Belmont Village is known for pioneering proprietary, award-winning resident programming, often in partnership with leading research universities and healthcare institutions such as USC, UCLA, and UCSD. Today, Belmont Village owns and operates 33 communities with just under 5,000 units, with an additional 1000 units in development. The company is a market leader in major markets including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Austin, and South Florida. Belmont’s communities are renowned for distinctive design, high standards of life safety, quality of care, and leading-edge, award-winning programs. Belmont Village is certified as a Great Place to Work® and has been ranked as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s 50 Best Workplaces for Aging Services since 2018.

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