Early Signs of Dementia: What You Need to Know

Tasks that were once easy can become difficult due to cognitive decline. Forgetting recent memories and having difficulty expressing oneself through words are early warning signs.

Symptoms of dementia will also differ based on the underlying cause, but some common early signs of the condition.

Early detection becomes important for early treatment and care. This will enable the carers and families to recognise these signs and what to do with them.

This guide is designed to help families and carers identify these signs. It also helps them to understand the necessary steps to take.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is not a disease but a name given to a group of symptoms that affect overall functioning. It makes daily life more difficult to carry out. The individuals who are impacted by dementia may forget things, struggle to find words, make poor judgments, and fail to recognise familiar faces. It gets worse with age and affects each of them in a different manner.

Although memory loss is an early warning sign, dementia also impacts attention, judgment, language, and control of emotion. It is not "getting old" but a health condition that must be nursed, cared for, and usually looked after over many years. It is easier to catch it early. With proper treatment, including counselling from agencies such as Support Network, people can enjoy long periods of independence.

Types of Dementia

• Alzheimer's Disease

This common type usually begins with gradual memory loss and tends to get worse over time.

• Vascular Dementia

When your brain doesn't get enough blood, it can mess with your thinking and make it hard to focus.

• Lewy Body Dementia

It happens when abnormal proteins build up in the brain. This can lead to seeing things that aren't there, sleep issues, and movement difficulties.

• Frontotemporal Dementia

It affects the front and side areas of the brain and can change a person's social functioning.

Each type begins differently and has its own unique symptoms. Knowing the difference helps make sure the right care and support is given.

Why It's Important to Identify Early Indications

It is necessary to identify the early indications of dementia for several reasons. The identification of signs earlier will lead to earlier diagnosis, earlier planning, and earlier care for the family and the individual.

Why it is significant:

Early Medical Care

Early identification of the symptom will allow the doctor to investigate the cause earlier. Some memory problems are caused by other illnesses that can be treated, i.e., vitamin deficiency or depression, not dementia. If dementia does occur, however, treatment early will prevent its progress.

Better Planning

Early detection gives the person and their loved ones time to prepare. While they can still make decisions, it also allows the person to take part in it.

Access to Support Services

Early knowledge helps you gain access to the right support services in good time such as home care, community support, or daily assistance through services like Support Network. Early intervention has a great impact on daily living.

Emotional Preparation

To understand what is coming helps to reduce anxiety and uncertainty for the person themselves, and for those who are close to them. It helps to enable all of them to make the changes and mentally prepare for what is coming.

Knowing early warning signs does not mean guesswork. It means being careful and observant. So the proper things can be done little by little and in confidence.

Early Warning Signs to Watch Out For

Dementia is unique to every person, but there are undeniable signs that indicate a person is becoming aware of changes in brain function. The symptoms will appear on the first stage and can be given as normal aging. But in case you or the person is starting to show some of the following symptoms, you must consult a professional:

Memory Loss That Affects Daily Life

Forgetting recent information, significant dates, or needing to be reminded repeatedly in order to be asked the same question is one of the most glaring early warning signs.

Challenges with Organising and Making Decisions

Having trouble with daily tasks that need planning or making decisions could signal changes in memory or thinking. These difficulties may be early signs of dementia.

Inability to Perform Everyday Activities

Routinised daily tasks like driving to a familiar place or using appliances at home may become mystifying at once.

Confusion of Place or Time

Forgetting where and how they arrived, or the season or date, can be an indication.

Difficulty with Words or Speaking

Having trouble speaking the right words, repeating themselves ad infinitum, or unable to complete speaking. All these may be signs of changed speech capacity.

Poor judgement 

Unusual management of money, unclean personal habits, or inappropriate dress for the environment. This may reflect loss of judgement.

Withdrawal from Activities

You may pull away from activities, social interaction, or jobs you once enjoyed. This is due to confusion or embarrassment.

Changes in Behaviour

They can get upset over tiny things. Just be calm and understanding.

What To Do If You Notice Symptoms

If you or your loved one is affected, it makes a lot of difference to act early. Here is what you should do:

• Don't Ignore the Symptoms

Forgetting every now and then is not a problem because everybody forgets things. If somebody keeps forgetting things, repeats himself or herself, or behaves in an odd manner, it's not normal aging. It could be one of the earliest signs of dementia and must be checked.

• Speak to Someone You Trust

If you are worried, speak to a family member, close relative, or somebody who is comfortable with that individual. It is always safe to follow up if you have someone to support you.

• Encourage a Medical Check-Up

Make an appointment with a GP. The doctor can do cognitive screening tests. This is to know whether the symptoms are caused by other conditions that can be treated.

• Keep a Symptom Diary 

Place in writing what changes you have experienced, when they started, and how frequently they happen. This allows the doctor to make an even more accurate and absolute diagnosis.

• Access Professional Support

Getting help early with dementia can make life easier and more manageable. Support Network connects you with care and services that suit your needs. 

• Involve the Person in Decisions

Where possible, involve the person showing symptoms in all planning and discussions. This helps protect their dignity and boosts their confidence.

• Stay Informed

When looking for info online, stick to trusted websites. This way, you'll get accurate info and can support your loved one better.

Being proactive helps. Taking early steps helps you understand your situation better, prepare, and find the right support. This helps your loved one enjoy a better quality of life for longer.

Getting the Right Support

Life following an existing indication or diagnosis of dementia is difficult, particularly for young individuals under 65 years. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) offers a variety of support systems for young individuals with dementia.  This is to help them live independent lives and with respect and become active in society.

A few of these supports which can be organised by NDIS are:

• Home Adaptations: Installation of handrails, addition of ramps, or bathroom and entrance adaptation for creating accessibility and safety of the houseIt helps the person stay in a familiar, safe environment, which can reduce confusion, falls, and injuries.
• Daily Living Support: Care workers can provide support with daily personal needs, helping individuals live comfortably at home without stress or disruption.
• Community Participation: Feeling lonely can make dementia symptoms worse. Being socially active and taking part in fun activities. The NDIS supports many of these activities to help people stay connected and engaged.
• Therapeutic Supports: It may be occupational therapy, psychology, or behaviour therapy. This is to manage memory, mood, and functional change.
• Carers' Respite: It may be challenging but also rewarding in a way to look after someone with dementia. NDIS can also help with having short-term respite arrangements in place so that the carer gets to rest and recover.

It's overwhelming to find and arrange appropriate care but you don't have to do it by yourself. Support Network helps you and your family find the right care that suits your unique situation.

Caring with Compassion

To care for someone with dementia is to do something greater than give physical care to be empathetic, to know, and to commiserate. Dementia is an effect on an individual's thinking, memory, and behaviour, and occasionally that will create frustration, confusion, or tears. Compassion is the best response.

This is how to care compassionately:

• Listen Carefully: Show you care about what they are saying. Take note of your every conversation with them. 
• Be Calm and Supportive: Give them a shoulder to rely on. Give them your listening ears when they are talking. Don't judge their opinions.
• Them Call the Shots: Ask them what they'd like, and give them options to pick from. This helps them feel more in charge
• Keep It Simple: Don't argue or correct. Let them share their thoughts. Kindness will generally win over right.
• Take Breaks When You Need To: Don't forget to take a break when you need to. You are not weak when you seek help if things are difficult.

No matter the support you need, Support Network’s workers can connect you to the services you need.

What You can Do to keep Your Brain Healthy

• Move Your Body

Staying active has several benefits it offers. From keeping your mind sharp to maintaining a healthy body.

• Delay, Prevent, or Control Diabetes.

Poorly controlled blood sugar will damage organs like the brain. A healthy diet and physical activity are most essential in maintaining blood sugar control.

• Maintain Low Blood Pressure

If it's too high, it will damage blood vessels. This will reduce the  blood flow to the brain. This will cause damage to the brain and puts one at a higher risk for stroke, which affects the way the brain works.

• Prevent or Reverse Hearing Loss.

Hearing loss brings in more chances of dementia as the brain is required to function more in order to hear. Social engagement is most crucial to maintain a healthy mind.

Effective Communication and behaviour  Management Tips for Dementia Care

Memory loss of words or inability to find the right words creates it difficult for dementia patients to express themselves. This has a tendency of leading to frustration, anger, or irritability. Speech ability in dementia like Alzheimer's disease is disabled in a manner that the patient will have no suitable words to use or simply remain silent. You may get angry or annoyed but should realise that the disease is causing the change in verbal skill. To help in communicating, you can:

• Reassure the person. Talk slowly. When they are upset or scared, hear them out. Show understanding if the person is angry or afraid.
• Let them have as much control as possible of their lives.
• Step carefully with the person's feelings.
• Plan quiet time in the day, and activities.
• Provide familiar objects and pictures in the house to provide security.
• Remind the person who you are in case the person has forgotten.
• Don't talk to them, rather talk with them. Be open-minded about their opinions. 
• Use other means of communication when words aren’t working. You can shift focus to something else.

Taking Care of Your Loved Ones in a Safe Environment

To improve feelings, safety, and calmness of someone with dementia, you need to create a conducive environment for them. By removing dangers and adding safety measures, you allow them to be independent and move about with safety. The suggestions below are ideas to take into consideration:

• Wherever there are stairs, at least one set of them must be fitted with a handrail.
• Safety plugs on unused electrical sockets and safety latches on cabinets.
• Clearing out cluttered objects and removing small mats, cords, and other items on which the individual can trip.
• Make sure all rooms the person uses are well-lit. Also, ensure outdoor areas they access have good lighting. This helps keep them safe and makes moving around easier.
• Remove curtains and rugs with complex patterns which confound the person.
• Remove or position out of reach common household cleaning products and chemicals such as paint thinner and lighters.

Planning for the Future: Caregiver Tips

It is not a simple task making the health care decisions for someone who is incapable of deciding for themselves. Advance health care planning directives are therefore crucial. One can make advance planning by:

• Starting early discussion with your relatives so that they are brought into the decision-making cycle.
• Request in advance whether you can speak with the person's physician or attorney if necessary. Perhaps there is an issue relating to care, a bill, or a claim for health insurance. You won't be able to obtain some information without consent.
• Advance care planning, financial planning, and advance legal planning can promote peace of mind. It also reduces stress for you and your family members during times of crisis.

Learning about how dementia changes over time helps you know what’s coming. It also makes it easier to care for your loved one the right way.

Care through Support Network 

Most of Support Network’s independent support workers have experience working with people with dementia. They can provide social, domestic, and personal care to individuals with dementia and their families. Noteworthy, as independent support workers, they can form long-term care relationships, i.e., you are able to have regular and ongoing care.

Every family’s path is different, and people living with dementia have their own story. They can feel more safe when we put our priorities on what makes them one-of-a-kind.  Doing what they know and love, like habits they are familiar with or activities they enjoy doing, can help them feel more better and more at ease. 

Getting help early is important. People can get the right treatment and care at the right time if dementia is detected early. They can live a good life and their carer can get help too with the right support.

Conclusion

Dementia is not something to joke about, it's a challenging experience. But knowing the early signs gives you the chance at coping with it. Whether it is memory and behavioural changes or difficulty with activities of daily living, such early signs need not go unseen.

Through the use of a general practitioner (GP) as a referral source, accurate assessment and referral to allow assistance from support agencies can guarantee better outcomes. Be it home adaptation, personal care, or social schemes services like those offered by Support Network. These are crucial in facilitating individuals to live at home safely and securely.

Proactiveness, education, and empathy can be the answer. This is not just for patients who have been diagnosed, but also carers and families who are bonkers.