Normal Senior Memory Loss or Early Dementia?

 Memory loss is a common concern for seniors and their families. Deteriorating memory function is an expected part of growing old, however, do not be too quick to write off symptoms to just old age.  It could be something more serious like Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, which can become severe enough to interfere with daily life without proper care. Sometimes your senior loved one may forget a word or name they know, which is usually just normal memory decline.  Though it can be frustrating, likely it is not serious. It is important to realize the signs of early dementia. In addition to old age, other things that can cause non-pathological memory loss include depression, dementia, head injury, strokes, side effects of drugs or medications, and alcoholism. You can tell when memory problems are serious if they start to interfere with their day-to-day life.  Forgetting names is probably not serious.  However, they may have problems that are more serious if they have difficulty recollecting how to do things they have done multiple times such as getting to a place they visit often, or having trouble with tasks that have steps, like following a recipe.  A key difference between normal memory problems and senior dementia is that normal memory loss does not get worse over time, whereas dementia gets increasingly worse with time over months and years.
Early signs of dementia include:
• Memory loss
• Difficulty communicating
• Inability to learn or remember new information
• Difficulty with planning and organizing
• Difficulty with coordination and motor functions
• Personality changes
• Inability to reason
• Inappropriate behavior
• Paranoia
• Agitation
• Hallucinations
If your senior is suffering from this illness, it is important you get them the dementia care they need in their home. For many family members, leaving their job to care for a loved one with dementia just is not an option and not all families want their loved ones placed into a senior living facility.  Familiar surroundings can be a comfort to someone suffering from dementia, so home dementia care is ideal. Comfort Keepers in Santa Clarita offers specialized dementia care for seniors so that you can rest easy knowing your loved one is cared for properly and kept happy in their own home. Call us today or visit www.seniorcaresantaclarita.com or www.comfortkeepers.com to learn more about this important in-home caregiving service.
Myles McNamara is the owner of Comfort Keepers In-Home Care, and can be reached at 661-287-4200