There are 10 known signs of Alzheimer’s, but all 10 signs do not need to present in order for someone to receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, impacting 20% of the population 65 and older. When it is caught in its earliest stages, there are certain medications and treatment options that can help decrease the acceleration of this common brain disorder.
It’s a chronic and often slow-moving brain disease that originates with the smallest of warnings.
10 Early Warning Signs Of Alzheimer’s
#1. Memory Loss
It’s normal for age-related memory loss to cause you to occasionally forget an appointment and then remember it at a later date. On the other hand, if it becomes a habit that’s starting to disrupt daily life and/or includes forgetting important annual events, like birthdays, there’s a chance that it’s related to Alzheimer’s.
#2. Confusion About Time Or Place
Alzheimer’s can cause you to lose track of dates, time and even the passage of seasons. It’s not uncommon for someone with Alzheimer’s to end up somewhere and not know how or why.
#3. Struggling To Complete Basic Tasks At Home Or Work
Tasks that were once easy can start to become difficult. Even tasks you once considered fun can become difficult enough that you start to avoid them. Perhaps you can’t recall the rules to your favorite game, or you get lost every time you go to your local grocery store.
#4. Struggling To Solve Problems
Problem solving becomes increasingly difficult with Alzheimer’s disease. You may notice a sudden inability to follow cooking recipes, keep track of monthly bills, and so forth.
#5. Difficulty Maintaining Conversations
People with Alzheimer’s often struggle to join in on conversations or carry on a conversation beyond basic greetings and salutations. They may repeat themselves a lot; stop talking mid-conversation or struggle finding the right words to express what they mean.
#6. Always Losing Things
Alzheimer’s disease can cause you to put your belongings in the most unusual (and unexpected) places. As a result, you are always looking for and losing things. You might put things in the wrong place because you forget where they go. In some cases, Alzheimer’s can make you paranoid to the point you think people are stealing from you, even if this is completely uncharacteristic of your personality. When this occurs, people may hide their things and then forget where they put them.
#7. Increasing Difficulty Reading & Processing Images
Worsening vision is a side effect of Alzheimer’s. You may struggle reading, determining colors and judging distances. This can make driving very difficult if you still have your license.
#8. Lack Of Judgment
You may notice a change in overall judgment, such as making seemingly irrational decisions. As a result of declining judgment, one might spend money they don’t have, give money away to telemarketers, or even stop showering—there are many ways a lack of judgment can surface.
#9. Purposeful Isolation
Alzheimer’s disease eventually prompts people to withdrawal from hobbies, work projects, social activities and other things they used to enjoy. People with Alzheimer’s are very aware of the changes taking place, such as difficulty maintaining conversations or keeping up with games they used to dominate. As a result, it’s normal to want to remove one’s self from social situations to avoid embarrassment and what can even feel like defeat.
#10. Abnormal Behavior
Alzheimer’s can cause a complete shift in personality or mood. Normal age-related changes are becoming very set in one’s ways and easily irritating if things didn’t go in a pre-planned order. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s can change your entire demeanor from happy and carefree to confused, suspicious, angry, depressed, anxious, frightened or all of the above.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation For Seniors With Alzheimer’s In Melbourne, Florida
Stellar Transportation provides first-class local and long distance non-emergency medical transportation for seniors with Alzheimer’s. Our vehicles are fully equipped to accommodate wheelchair and stretcher patients. Plus, all of our drivers go through a senior sensitivity training program in order to provide the best service possible. If need be, we are more than happy to provide door-through-door services. Safety and comfort are our number one and two priorities. Contact us today for a free quote!