Holidays offer a time to enjoy being with our loved ones, but they also create an opportunity to connect with aging relatives and, perhaps, take note whether signs of physical or mental impairment are beginning to emerge.
Mild impairment such as memory loss was once regarded as simply a sign of advancing age, however, now such signs are seen as a possible early warning of a more serious problems such as Alzheimer’s-related dementia.
“Some change in memory is normal as we grow older, but the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are more than simple lapses in memory,” according to the American Alzheimer’s Association.
For example:
- According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it’s normal for someone to forget a particular part of a memory of an occasion, but forgetting everything concerning an event is one indication.
- Anyone can forget where a car is parked in a crowded lot during the holidays. But watch for signs such as someone forgetting how to start their car or turn on devices in the car (radio, lights).
- Similarly, anyone can forget a name of someone they’ve met. Cause for concern is when someone forgets the meeting ever having taken place.
- Finally, forgetfully losing track of items such as car keys or glasses can happen to us all. What doesn’t happen to an unimpaired mind is to find the items in incorrect places such as the refridgerator of a cookie tin.
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This is a sample of the signs available from the Alzheimer’s Association, for a complete list visit the organization’s web site.
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