Dementia, or, for that matter, any memory-based illness, is not only traumatic, consuming, and restrictive for the individual afflicted but also for their family members, close friends, and partner as well. 

If you are worried about a loved one and suspect they may be displaying the early warning signs of onset dementia, then continue reading to learn of five potential warning signs of dementia. 

• A Change in Mood

One incredibly common warning sign that a loved one may well be experiencing signs and symptoms of dementia is that a person who, for many years, has projected a confident and self-assured demeanor is suddenly displaying signs of anxiety and fear.

Naturally, everyone goes through periods of low mood and even depressive thoughts, but if your loved one seems to be in a constant bad mood and is uninspired and lacking motivation to do things that they once enjoyed, this could be an issue. 

Personality changes are also common in people who are showing the early signs and symptoms of dementia, such as social withdrawal from their friends and family, paranoia, delusional thinking, far-fetched ideas and actions, lack of logical thinking, and the inability to take the initiative even in the most basic of situations. 

• Short-Term Memory Lapses

As dementia is a memory-associated illness, a clear sign that your relative or close friend may have dementia is that they are starting to display subtle changes in their short-term memory. 

Such changes may manifest themselves, amongst other things, as when they forget a pre-arranged date or appointment on the day itself, they simply cannot find where they left their glasses or wallet (and moreover, they find it in a strange place) or that they cannot remember why they entered a room. Remember, odd instances of this are entirely normal in people of any age, but this may well be cause for concern in more regular incidences. 

• Sense of Direction

As dementia starts to affect a person’s brain, they will more than likely become disorientated when it comes to walks and directions, especially when travelling to a store they have frequented for years. If this does start to become more and more of a problem, you could start to discuss with your loved one the possibility of moving to an established care home, such as valeviewheights.com. 

If your parent or relative starts to not recognise notable and stand-out landmarks in the town and city where they reside, they seem unable to correct their mistake or follow simple directions. In that case, this could also indicate that they are having problems with their memory. 

• Conversation Repetition

When speaking to your loved one, especially if they have always been regularly referencing news articles or fountains of their own personal knowledge, if they start to fail to follow basic conversation guidelines, this could be a worry. 

In conversation, they may start to repeat themselves, either in the same couple of sentences or else in an hour or so time, and moreover, you could start to notice that topics in which they were once well-versed in are now less knowledgeable of.