One of the most common disorders that can occur during old age is dementia. In fact, it is thought that dementia affects as many as 850,000 people in the UK, and this figure is rising each and every day.

Dementia, rather than being a disorder on its own, is actually a group of different brain disorders, all similar in the fact that they cause reduce brain function, which becomes progressively worse over time. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, however there is also vascular dementia and mixed dementia too.

There are a variety of symptoms that can appear when someone has dementia and the important thing to remember is that everyone is affected in different ways. However, one thing is for sure, whilst it may feel that a dementia diagnosis comes out of the blue, the symptoms will probably have been appearing for some time.

The early signs of dementia

Despite there being a variety of different signs and symptoms that could lead to a dementia diagnosis, there are some common things that you can look out for and notice, even long before your loved one receives their diagnosis.

The most common signs include:

• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• Problems carrying out tasks that they are familiar with and carry out everyday
• Finding conversations hard or forgetting words
• Being confused about the time or date that it is
• Confusion around a place or how to get there
• Mood changes

Depending on the person you are likely to find that these particular symptoms are reasonably mild, and may even be tricky to pick up on. However, over time, these symptoms can get worse and become much more noticeable.

Is there anything that can be done?

If you notice that your loved one is showing signs of dementia, even early signs, then it is important that you take action. Of course, you may find that they are part of growing old, however, you may also find that there is an underlying issue, such as dementia.

No matter what happens, or the diagnosis that you receive, you need to ensure that you speak to your doctor. They may suggest that your loved one is seen for complete mental and memory tests as well as being booked in for brain imaging and blood tests. All things that can help to ascertain a diagnosis of dementia and which type it is.

Once you know that they have dementia, you can start to change things and make life easier for that person. There are a number of things that you can do, as well as lifestyle changes that they can make. Both of which can help to ensure that they battle dementia as long as possible.