There are 10 early warning signs that someone might have dementia. Most people only know of one – memory loss – yet for many types of dementia, it’s a symptom that shows up later.
That’s why Abby Wolfe and Barb Ulmer with the Alzheimer Society visited Melfort, Tisdale and Nipawin May 9 to 11, to teach people about the ABCs: signs that affect day-to-day abilities, behaviours and communication.
“For people to recognize more of the warning signs, it can be a way for them to recognize when they might be experiencing those, “even if it’s a different type of dementia as well,” Wolfe, the public awareness co-ordinator, said, adding it’s good to be aware of the signs in case one sees them in others.
In terms of the signs that affect abilities, there’s memory loss affecting day-to-day functionality, difficulties performing regular tasks, misplacing things and not being able to retrace the steps to get them back, and not remembering where – or even when – you are.
Signs that affect behaviours are impaired judgment, changes in mood and behaviour, changes in personality, and loss of initiative, becoming disengaged in hobbies they used to enjoy.
Signs that affect communication are problems with both spoken and written language, and problems with abstract thinking – like looking at a clock and figuring out how the hands represent what time it is.
Ulmer, the dementia helpline co-ordinator, said it’s important to detect the condition.
“Early diagnosis helps people to get accurate information early,” she said.
Having a diagnosis means that one can understand the source of the symptoms; get proper care, treatment and support; and plan for the future. There’s not a single test that can detect dementia – that’s done through a systematic assessment that eliminates other possible causes.
Ulmer said as well as the general public, the Alzheimer Society has made a presentation about the subject to practical nursing students at the Tisdale branch of Cumberland College and the continuing care students at the college’s Nipawin branch.
The 10 signs
| Abilities | Memory loss affecting day-to-day functionality |
| Difficulties performing regular tasks | |
| Misplacing things and not being able to retrace the steps to get them back | |
| Not remembering where – or even when – you are | |
| Behaviours | Impaired judgment |
| Changes in mood and behaviours | |
| Loss of initiative, becoming disengaged in hobbies they used to enjoy | |
| Changes in personality | |
| Communication | Problems with both spoken and written language, using words improperly or inventing new ones |
| Problems with abstract thinking – like looking at a clock and figuring out how the hands represent what time it is |
