To help family members and health care professionals recognize the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Association has developed a checklist of common symptoms of the disease.
Recent memory loss
People with Alzheimer’s disease may forget things more often.
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Problems with language
A person with Alzheimer’s disease may forget simple words or substitute inappropriate words, making his or her sentence incomprehensible.
Disorientation of time and place
Persons with Alzheimer’s disease can become lost on their own streets, not knowing where they are, how they got there or how to get back home.
Poor or decreased judgment
People with Alzheimer’s disease may dress inappropriately, wearing several shirts or blouses on a warm day or very little clothing in cold weather.
Problems with abstract thinking
A person with Alzheimer’s disease may completely forget how to write a check or balance his or her bank account.
Misplacing things
A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in inappropriate places such as placing an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
Changes in mood or behavior
Someone with Alzheimer’s disease can exhibit rapid mood swings — from calm to tears to anger — for no apparent reason.
Changes in personality
Personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer’s disease can change drastically, becoming extremely confused, suspicious or fearful.
Loss of initiative
The person with Alzheimer’s disease may become very passive and require cues and prompting to become involved in activities of daily living.
If you recognize several of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends consulting a physician. A physician can properly diagnose the person’s condition.
Even if the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s disease, help is available to learn how to care for a person with dementia and where to find caregiver assistance.
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