- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Reaction score
- 19,506
- Age
- 64
- Location
- I'm liek, in Cali, dude.
- Lifestyle
- Vegetarian
Know the 10 signs of Alzheimer's. This looks like a good PDF document to download: http://www.alz.org/dm/digital_displ...esigns_download/10signs_infographic_12-18.pdf
The takeaway from the infographic is that it is a red flag for dementia if there is a persistent pattern to any of the signs indicated. Occasionally forgetting the name of somebody you've known for years is a normal sign of aging. Completely forgetting the name and being unable to remember at all without help is a red flag. Forgetting the relationship of that person to you is an even bigger red flag.
Also, based on my experience with my father, who had Alzheimer's, remember that not everyone with dementia will display the signs in exactly the same way and experience mental and physical decline in exactly the same way. Just because the mother or grandfather of someone you know forgot their daughter's name a year after being diagnosed doesn't mean your own loved one will forget your name or someone else a year after being diagnosed. Dementia affects everyone differently. My father had trouble remembering my sister's name, but never forgot she was his daughter. And he never forgot my name at all. On the other hand, two years after a caregiver named Maria was hired, every time I visited when she was there, the minute I'd walk into the room he'd introduce me to her as if it was the first time.
Also, there are several stages to Alzheimer's disease. The first is the most subtle. There are red flags, but it's not yet obvious that the person has dementia unless somebody is observant and putting all the clues together. The second is the one where the person has "good" days and "bad" days. It's the stage that is the one most often portrayed in the media. The last is when there are no longer any "good" days. The person has declined to the point where they are bedridden, possibly cannot use the toilet without help or at all, has to be hand fed by others, and is the last stage before death. This last stage can be prolonged or short. Mercifully, with my dad it was relatively short.
The memory loss is that of short-term memory. In the last year of his life, my dad couldn't remember what he had for breakfast, but he remembered songs he sang when he was 13 years old. That's because memory is like an onion; it's in layers. Dementia destroys the outer layers until all that are left are the inner layers of memory.
Note: If you are blocked from downloading the PDF for some reason, you have to register on the site here: http://act.alz.org/site/PageNavigator/FY12_Know_The_Signs.html?z00m=20667413
The takeaway from the infographic is that it is a red flag for dementia if there is a persistent pattern to any of the signs indicated. Occasionally forgetting the name of somebody you've known for years is a normal sign of aging. Completely forgetting the name and being unable to remember at all without help is a red flag. Forgetting the relationship of that person to you is an even bigger red flag.
Also, based on my experience with my father, who had Alzheimer's, remember that not everyone with dementia will display the signs in exactly the same way and experience mental and physical decline in exactly the same way. Just because the mother or grandfather of someone you know forgot their daughter's name a year after being diagnosed doesn't mean your own loved one will forget your name or someone else a year after being diagnosed. Dementia affects everyone differently. My father had trouble remembering my sister's name, but never forgot she was his daughter. And he never forgot my name at all. On the other hand, two years after a caregiver named Maria was hired, every time I visited when she was there, the minute I'd walk into the room he'd introduce me to her as if it was the first time.
Also, there are several stages to Alzheimer's disease. The first is the most subtle. There are red flags, but it's not yet obvious that the person has dementia unless somebody is observant and putting all the clues together. The second is the one where the person has "good" days and "bad" days. It's the stage that is the one most often portrayed in the media. The last is when there are no longer any "good" days. The person has declined to the point where they are bedridden, possibly cannot use the toilet without help or at all, has to be hand fed by others, and is the last stage before death. This last stage can be prolonged or short. Mercifully, with my dad it was relatively short.
The memory loss is that of short-term memory. In the last year of his life, my dad couldn't remember what he had for breakfast, but he remembered songs he sang when he was 13 years old. That's because memory is like an onion; it's in layers. Dementia destroys the outer layers until all that are left are the inner layers of memory.
Note: If you are blocked from downloading the PDF for some reason, you have to register on the site here: http://act.alz.org/site/PageNavigator/FY12_Know_The_Signs.html?z00m=20667413
I hate it when somebody who doesn't fit the "demographic" of a certain disease has that disease, and doctors and others are in denial about it. These poor people should have the benefit of the doubt, not scoffed at just because they're "too young" or "too old" or whatever. I read about a young American woman in her 20's who was diagnosed with breast cancer but couldn't get insurance coverage for treatment of it because she was deemed "too young" to have breast cancer. She eventually went to Canada under a false identity to get treatment and coverage for it.
