What are the early signs of dementia?

There are many different forms of dementia, however the most common types are Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, Huntington's disease, Alcohol related dementia (Korsakoff's syndrome) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. You can read more about the different types of dementia and how they affect the brain in different ways here.

Dementia can happen to anyone, but it’s more common in people over the age of 65. However, while most people with dementia are older, it is important to remember that not all older people get dementia and it’s not a normal part of ageing.

According to Dementia Australia, the early signs of dementia are very subtle and may not be immediately obvious. However, there are some common warning signs to look out for.

Here are 10 early signs of dementia:

1. Recent memory loss

One of the first signs and symptoms of dementia is usually when a person’s memory starts to decline, particularly when trying to remember very recent events or fundamental things like where a person lives, or their partner’s name. It’s normal to forget things like appointments or an item when grocery shopping, and remember them later. However a person with dementia may forget things more often and not remember them at all. They may forget their home address, may not recall having a cousin, or have trouble remembering what they had for breakfast.

2. Misplacing items

We’ve all been guilty of misplacing our wallet or keys in the past. However, a person with dementia may often put things in inappropriate places and forget they did it. For example, they may put the junk mail in their sock draw, or put the TV remote in the fridge, and have no recollection of doing it.

3. Changes in personality

As dementia progresses, it can cause noticeable personality changes. A person can suddenly become more suspicious, paranoid or fearful than they’ve ever been before. For example, they may become extremely worried that the neighbour is watching them or fearful that someone is trying to break into their home every night, or indeed is already in the house hiding. On the other hand, they may be the opposite and become more extraverted or gregarious than they were previously.

4. Difficulty performing usual tasks

A person with dementia might not remember how to do basic and familiar tasks they’ve always done, like getting dressed for the day or turning the television on. They may even forget how to prepare a meal they’ve cooked for years, or if they do remember, they may not only forget to serve it, but also forget they made it. While it can be difficult for a person living with dementia to perform activities they may have once loved, the need to do so often isn’t diminished. Therefore it’s important to find activities that engage them and bring pleasure to their everyday live.

5. Problems finding the right words

When having a conversation, we can all get a little tongue-tied and have trouble finding the words we want to use from time to time. However a person with dementia may have difficulty with very simple words and forget them more frequently than the average person does. This can become even more noticeable if you’re around them on a regular basis.