Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive illness, so recognizing the early signs can be an important way to ensure that seniors get treatment as soon as possible. After diagnosis, solutions like Alzheimer’s care are able to offer support and vital assistance to seniors and family caregivers as they learn how to deal with this new normal.
Memory Loss
Often seniors start to worry about Alzheimer’s disease because of memory loss. Some memory loss is normal with aging, but the key difference is that memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease tends to disrupt daily life. This type of memory loss may cause seniors to repeatedly ask the same questions or share the same stories.
Trouble with Time and Place
Another common issue, especially for seniors in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, is that time and place become more confusing. Seniors might find that they’re disoriented in familiar locations, causing them to avoid going places. They might also find it difficult to keep up with dates and time, which can cause them to miss appointments and events.
Misplacing Objects
Seniors in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s disease might put items in unusual places and then forget where they left those items. This is often why they start to find the remote control in the refrigerator, for instance. Having help from home care providers to keep the house tidy can be helpful for seniors with Alzheimer’s, especially if they’re misplacing items often.
Trouble Solving Problems
Daily life means solving problems, but people with Alzheimer’s disease may have trouble solving even the simplest problems. Seniors might have trouble with anything that involves numbers, for instance, or following a series of steps. As Alzheimer’s progresses, these difficulties worsen.
Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks
Like solving problems, completing familiar tasks can start to become a bigger problem as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. This can make daily tasks like using appliances or making meals much more complicated. It can also make seniors feel unsafe doing those normal things.
Communication Difficulties
People with Alzheimer’s disease may also have trouble with language and communication. For some, this is related to memory issues and having trouble remembering which words are the right ones. Another common difficulty is struggling to maintain a conversation.
Personality and Mood Changes
Because of the challenges associated with Alzheimer’s disease, seniors can find themselves feeling irritable and confused, sometimes without fully realizing why. Anxiety and depression are also common with Alzheimer’s disease. Eventually, other personality changes might occur.
Early Alzheimer’s Care Is Crucial
Recognizing the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and obtaining a diagnosis is crucial. It also allows seniors to enlist the help of Alzheimer’s care sooner rather than later. Caregivers are able to offer emotional support to seniors and to family caregivers. They’re also able to help seniors to be safer at home, getting the support they need with daily activities.
Early diagnosis of something as serious as Alzheimer’s disease means improving quality of life for seniors. Alzheimer’s care providers can help aging adults to put together a care plan that helps them to ensure their needs are met and that they have the assistance to manage the new situation they’re experiencing.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING ALZHEIMER’S CARE IN SARATOGA, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969