Alzheimer’s disease often begins with subtle but easily recognizable symptoms. Watching for these early signs can help you identify the disease early on so you can provide your senior loved one with the appropriate treatment and support.
1. Excessive Forgetfulness
At the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, seniors are likely to experience excessive forgetfulness. Signs of severe memory loss include repeating questions or stories again and again within a short time, being unable to name the current season or year, and frequently losing items. A professional evaluation can determine the cause and severity of your loved one’s memory loss.
If your elderly loved one is living with a serious medical condition and needs help managing the tasks of daily living, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care, a home care Frederick agency you can trust. Our caregivers are available 24/7, there are no hidden fees in our contracts, and we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our in-home care services.
2. Communication Difficulties
Difficulty writing or speaking is common in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms to watch for include forgetting specific words and having difficulty following conversations. Try keeping your sentences short and simple to engage your loved one in the conversation. To prevent your loved one from becoming withdrawn, provide plenty of time to think of the words he or she needs to finish sentences.
3. Personality & Behavioral Changes
Alzheimer’s disease can cause surprising changes in personality and behavior. Behavioral changes to look for include losing interest in favorite hobbies and avoiding social activities. Your loved one may also experience emotional changes, such as becoming anxious or depressed. Significant, sudden, and unexplained changes in behavior or personality should be evaluated by a doctor immediately to rule out serious illnesses.
Caring for a senior can be a difficult task, especially if he or she is exhibiting challenging behaviors. Families looking for top-rated Frederick at-home care providers can reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care. From respite care to specialized Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care, there are many ways we can make life easier for seniors and their loved ones.
4. Reduced Planning Skills
Poor planning skills and difficulty working with numbers are symptoms that appear during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Your loved one may lose track of monthly bills, be unable to monitor finances, or have difficulty with basic math like addition and subtraction.
Impulsive financial decisions, such as giving away large amounts of money to a stranger, are also common. Monitor your loved one’s spending to manage his or her finances more effectively. You can also consider contacting your loved one’s bank to prevent large unplanned withdrawals from his or her checking or savings account.
5. Inability to Judge Distance
Alzheimer’s disease causes physical changes in the brain that can affect spatial reasoning, making it difficult to judge distance and interpret images. Some signs that visual interpretation is decreasing include misidentifying colors or shapes.
Alzheimer’s can be challenging for seniors to manage without assistance, and it can be just as challenging for families who don’t have experience in providing Alzheimer’s care. Frederick Assisting Hands Home Care provides Alzheimer’s care seniors and their families can depend on. Our caregivers help seniors with Alzheimer’s and other memory-related conditions live happier and healthier lives. We will work with you to create a customized home care plan that’s suited for your loved one’s unique needs. Call the Assisting Hands Home Care team today.
