Lots of aging adults worry that they’re developing cognitive ailments like dementia. There are some situations that she can chalk up to normal aging, forgetfulness, or even to stress, but some signs mean that she’s facing something a little more complicated.
Repetitive Questions and Stories
Repeating stories and questions is something that a lot of people do, but if your senior is doing so and has no concept that she’s just asked a specific question, that presents a problem. Your elderly family member may not be able to retain what has just happened, which can be a sign that there might be more going on. The big sign here is that your elderly family member genuinely does not remember having asked the question or told the story.
Getting Lost or Turned Around in Familiar Locations
If your elderly family member is out and about and finds herself lost in a place where she’s been multiple times, that could be a problem as well. How concerned you both should be has a lot to do with how familiar she is with that location. If this is a location she’s known her entire life, she may have something to be concerned about.
Confusion about Time and Place
Anyone can lose some time here and there, but if your elderly family member is finding herself confused about where she is or the time of day, that’s not typical. This is particularly troubling if she’s having a tough time differentiating between twilight and early morning hours. Those times can look similar because of lighting, but she should be aware enough about the time of day to be able to differentiate.
Trouble Following Directions
Your senior may also find that she’s losing the ability to follow directions. If she’s able to follow the first one or two instructions in a list, but then loses the rest of them, there may be more happening. Ideally, your senior should be able to hang onto at least a short list of instructions. Another sign could be that she forgets how to do something that she’s been able to do for a long time, like make a favorite recipe.
Your senior’s doctor is the best source of information about her health and whether she needs to be concerned about her memory issues. Once you know what’s going on, you can put other solutions in place, like bringing in elder care providers to help your senior with tasks that are becoming more difficult.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Goodyear, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Home Care Resources at (602) 443-4700
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