Alzheimer's: Know The Signs

It’s been said that we all die twice: once when we physically die and again when
people stop talking about us.

The second “death” coincides with the African proverb, “You never die as long as someone is alive to call your name.”

Many of us know someone or know of someone who has Alzheimer’s or dementia,
which is the form of Alzheimer’s. After a time these patients are known to forget
some people they previously knew and loved.

I still remember when my father gave my maternal grandmother the phone and told her to, “Say hello to Kaffie.” The way she said, “Hello, Kaffie,” brought me to
tears.

I could tell she had no idea who I was. Not too long after that, she tried to
attack my brother, with whom she used to wrestle and play.

Some of the saddest stories I’ve ever heard were from loved ones and caregivers
who suddenly became persona non grata to someone they had either known all
their lives or to whom they were closely related.

I get multiple calls a day from a friend I met through my late husband. The two
were Army buddies. I’ve known him for more than 50 years, and he hasn’t
forgotten me or my now-deceased husband.

When he calls, he talks about various military assignments, and what they did back in the day. He can remember all sorts of incidents that happened long ago to the two of them. What he can’t remember is that he already has called me four or five times that day.

His wife called to apologize for all of his calls, but I told her not to fret. I’m happy
that he still remembers my husband and me, because the real problem with those
going through Alzheimer’s or dementia is memory.

Several years before my grandmother had no idea who I was on the telephone, my
grandfather complained that she was letting food burn. She would put something
on the stove or in the oven, and simply forget about it.

My grandfather, who was not known for his culinary skills, began monitoring my grandmother’s food preparation, and would remind her to check on the food.

A friend recently told me of an uncle who could never remember where he parked
his car. The uncle, now in his late 70s, has been misplacing his car for the last 20
years or more.

Some forms of forgetfulness come with the addition of candles on your birthday
cake. Other forms, however, are early signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia.

“According to 2024 figures from the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 7 million
Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of
dementia, though many experts say that number is probably higher.

The World Health Organization reports that globally, dementia is the seventh leading cause of death,” according to AARP.

“Starting in our 30s, the brain starts to shrink very, very slowly—it’s not even
perceptible to most people,” Prevention magazine reports. “This can result in
slower processing speed and slowed retrieval.” In other words, you still have the
info stored in your head, it just takes a little longer to dig it out.

For example, you know the Jeopardy answer, but you can no longer beat the
buzzer.

Here are ten other signs of dementia from the Alzheimer’s Association:

1. Difficulty with everyday tasks. Everyone makes mistakes, but people with
   dementia may find it increasingly difficult to do things like keep track of monthly bills or follow a recipe while cooking. They may also find it hard to concentrate on tasks, take much longer to do them or have trouble finishing them.
   
2. Repetition. Asking a question over and over or telling the same story about a
   recent event multiple times are common indicators of mild or moderate
   Alzheimer’s, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
3. Communication problems. Observe if a loved one:
    Has trouble joining in conversations or following along with them
    Stops abruptly in the middle of a thought 
    Struggles to think of words or the names of objects
4. Getting lost. People with dementia may have difficulty with visual and spatial
   abilities. That can manifest itself in problems like getting lost while driving.
5. Personality changes. A loved one who begins acting unusually anxious,
   confused, fearful or suspicious, or who becomes upset easily and seems depressed is cause for concern.
6. Confusion about time and place. If someone forgets where they are or can’t remember how they got there, that’s a red flag. Another worrisome sign is disorientation about time — for example, routinely forgetting what day of the week it is.
7. Misplacing things. Someone with dementia may put things in unusual places and may have difficulty retracing their steps to find misplaced items.
8. Troubling behavior. If your family member seems to have increasingly poor
   judgment when handling money or neglects grooming and cleanliness, pay
   attention.
9. Loss of interest, or apathy. Not feeling especially social from time to time is one thing, but a sudden and routine loss of interest in family, friends, work and social events is a warning sign of dementia.  Apathy may even be a sign of dementia or that someone is progressing from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) —symptoms of memory loss or thinking problems that are not as severe as dementia — to Alzheimer’s disease. People with MCI are at an increased risk of developing dementia.
   
10. Forgetting old memories. Memory loss that becomes more persistent is often one of the first signs of dementia. A full clinical work up is necessary; as with any biomarker, the Alzheimer’s Association reports, simply detecting biological changes is insufficient for definitive diagnosis.