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What are the early signs of dementia?
If you notice that you or a loved one is experiencing any of the following symptoms of dementia, check in with your doctor to ensure a proper diagnosis:

Forgetting things you just learned
We all forget a random bit of trivia now and then, but with dementia, you have trouble retaining new information to a point where it impacts your life, says Caccappolo. Many friends and relatives notice this when a loved one starts to ask the same question over and over in the same conversation, or they are unable to remember the details of a TV show they just watched. It also becomes increasingly more difficult to learn new tasks, such as using a cell phone or a new computer program, even if the steps are clearly written down for them.

Problems managing money
One of the first line of questions Caccappolo asks her patients is, “Are you still managing the household finances? Are you paying your bills on time? Have you paid any bills twice? Are you making errors when you’re balancing your checkbook?” People with dementia often have trouble with abstract thinking, like math, and are unable to follow the steps to do a task like paying a bill. They may also make poor judgments about spending money or even giving it away.

Getting lost in familiar places
Memory loss and visual and spatial difficulties can lead to disorientation, causing people with dementia to get lost easily, even when walking or driving to places they have been to hundreds of times.

Confusion about time and day
When you eat breakfast, but then realize it’s dinner time, or you can’t remember the day of the week without looking at a calendar, that can be a sign of cognitive impairment. Caccappolo says patients who have more advanced dementia may get up in the middle of the night and get dressed. It may also become increasingly difficult to know what season or even what year it is.

Visuospatial issues
Atrophy in the part of the brain that processes visual information can lead to difficulties with visual perception, causing falls, difficulty driving safely, and problems judging distances and colors. This is different from visual problems due to changes in the health of the eyes, so always be sure to check in with your ophthalmologist as well.

Forgetting common words
In addition to forgetting names and being unable to retain new information, people with dementia may find themselves unable to come up with the word for a familiar object, like a watch or refrigerator; they also may stop in the middle of a sentence or not be able to carry on a conversation.

Constantly losing things
When a person without dementia misplaces their keys or the remote control, they can typically retrace their steps or think of all the logical places the object might be. But for a person with dementia, it can be difficult to take those deductive steps, leading to frustration, and frequently suspicion that the items were “stolen.”

A lack of interest in reading
“In cognitive evaluations, I always ask, ‘Are you reading as much as you always did?’” says Caccappolo. She points out that people who used to love reading books find they can’t follow the story or remember what came in the previous pages. “A lot of people will say they can only read short articles now—it’s especially noticeable with people who were really avid readers,” she says.

Skipping social gatherings
When it becomes difficult to follow a conversation or remember the names of people you don’t see every day, a person with dementia may start to withdraw from friends, and avoid parties or other events involving large groups of people.

Changes in personality
People with dementia may find themselves getting more irritable, having a lower tolerance for frustration, and crying more—“even men who never cried before in their life will cry,” says Caccappolo. And sometimes it goes in the opposite direction.
Helpful Answer (7)
Reply to lealonnie1
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There are many, you best option is to Google it and go on YouTube watch videos. There are many kinds, vascular, Alzheimer's, lewy body ECT...

Or let us know the symptoms you are seeing we can tell you if there symptoms.
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Reply to Anxietynacy
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Are you seeing symptoms in yourself? Or someone else?

If yourself, the best thing to do is make sure all your legal ducks are in a row (assigned PoA, Advance Healthcare Directive, POLST, Pre-need Guardianship, Last Will) and then make your free Medicare wellness annual exam where they will ask if you want a cognitive/memory test. There you can discuss your worrisome symptoms with your doctor.

If it's for a spouse, get them in for that appointment after helping them get their legal ducks in a row. It is very import to have your legal protections and plans in place first.
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Reply to Geaton777
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