According to a 2011 Alzheimer Society poll, 50 per cent of baby boomers identified memory loss as the only sign of Alzheimer’s disease, while a quarter couldn’t name any sign.
Do you know the symptoms?
Changes in behavior and personality can also indicate the beginnings of the disease. Recognizing these signs is important for getting a diagnosis and to make the most of the available support and treatments:
• Memory loss – forgetting recent events or difficulty retaining new information.
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks – preparing a meal or shopping.
• Language problems – finding the right words or using inappropriate words.
• Disorientation – getting lost on the way to work or being confused about the time of day.
• Poor or decreased judgment – neglecting personal hygiene or safety.
• Problems with abstract thinking – difficulty balancing a cheque book or not understanding what the numbers mean.
• Misplacing things – putting things in odd places like storing an iron in the fridge.
• Behavioral changes – sharp mood swings, from calm to tears to depression that are hard to explain.
• Personality changes – becoming unusually withdrawn, suspicious or anxious.
• Loss of initiative – withdrawing from friends and family and losing interest in activities.
