10 Signs of Dementia
Key points
People with dementia have symptoms that are very different from those of normal ageing.
If your family members have the following conditions, please seek medical advice and arrange assessments immediately, so you can know if they have dementia.
Decline in short-term memory.
- Forgetting recent happenings easily.
- Repeating the same questions frequently.
- Forgetting the date and time of appointments.
Decline in ability to handle matters and solve problems.
- Cannot handle personal financial matters independently.
Unable to handle familiar tasks.
- Having difficulties in preparing dinner.
- Forgetting frequently used skills, such as skills used to perform one's job in the past.
Having difficulties in identifying time and place.
- Losing track of dates and times.
- Getting lost in neighbourhood.
Confusion with visual images and spatial relationships.
- Having difficulties in identifying distance, color and contrast.
- Misidentifying one's own image in a mirror as another person.
Communication barriers.
- Having difficulties in expressing oneself.
- Having difficulties in finding appropriate words when communicating verbally with others.
Misplacing things.
- Misplacing things and being unable to locate them afterward.
- Suspecting things were stolen by others due to the misplacement.
Decline in judgmental ability.
- Crossing the road carelessly.
- Having difficulties in recognizing rotten food.
Withdrawal from social activities.
- Refusing to participate in social activities.
- Showing a decrease in work initiative.
Changes in emotion and personality.
- Frequent ups and downs in emotion.
- Increases in feelings of anxiety and uncertainty.
- A lack of sense of security.
Summary
- Normal ageing will not lead to forgetfulness and communication barriers severe enough to cause an inability to take care of oneself.
- You can seek help from social workers in nearby elderly centres if you want to consult a professional.