Alzheimer’s awareness: Family members likely the ones to detect concerns, urge individual to seek treatment

Patricia Jumbo-Lucioni, an associate professor at Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy, focuses her research on Alzheimer’s in memory of her grandmother.

She also seeks to share what she’s learning with others through her role as a community educator with Alabama Alzheimer’s Association.

During an April 4 afternoon seminar hosted by Oaks on Parkwood, a Noland Health Services continuous care community near Hoover in southwestern Jefferson County, Jumbo-Lucioni outlined 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s.

She also stressed the importance of early detection to best mitigate the progression of the symptoms.

“There’s still no cure for Alzheimer’s, but catching it early can help with quality of life,” she said, noting Alzheimer’s is only one type of dementia, but it makes up more than 50% of the cases.

“Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease, impacting memory and behavior, problem solving, thinking and feeling. … It causes nerve cells to die, which leads to brain tissue loss.”

Warning signs:

1. Memory loss to the point it disrupts life, such as forgetting recently learned information or important dates, events or people.
2. Challenges in solving problems or following a plan such as recipes or monthly bills.
3. An inability to complete familiar tasks.
4. Confusion with time or place and understanding what is happening right now.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, such as determining colors or judging distance. They might have trouble with balance.
6. Encounters new problems with words.
7. Constantly misplaces things and has lost the ability to retrace steps. Sometimes they begin accusing others of stealing or moving things around.
8. Decreased or poor judgment from what a person has typically done.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
10. Changes in mood and personality, especially becoming easily agitated.

It’s important to be evaluated if noticing these signs.

The Oaks on Parkwood, a Noland Health Services continuous care community near Hoover in southwestern Jefferson County, is also hosting “Dementia Conversations” on June 6 and “New Advances in Treatment” on Oct. 3. For more information, visit alz.org/al.