How to Detect & Prevent Dementia
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common disorders affecting those over 65. It's estimated that around 7 million Americans live with it, and that number is predicted to continue rising. Given this, it's important to know how to recognize early signs of dementia and how to respond. Here are 10 common symptoms to look out for and 10 ways to prepare for it.
1. Memory Loss That Affects Day-to-Day Life
Memory loss is one of the most common and glaring signs of Alzheimer's disease. Trouble remembering or retaining recently learned information, such as names, times, dates, and places, and becoming increasingly reliant on memory aids is how it may first manifest.
2. Confusion with Time & Place
Sometimes, we may forget what day of the week it is, then remember it later on. But those living with Alzheimer's will confuse dates, times, seasons, and even how to get home. They may even forget where they are and how they got there.
3. New Difficulty in Speaking or Writing
Those living with Alzheimer's may also encounter new challenges in speaking and writing. They may suddenly pause mid-conversation, unable to remember what they just said or how to continue. Additionally, they may forget certain words and substitute them with other names, such as calling a "watch" a "hand-clock."
4. Poor Judgement
People with dementia also have impaired or poor judgement. They may not recognize when they're putting their health and safety at risk, like ignoring a medical problem that needs immediate attention, neglecting personal hygiene, and mismanaging finances.
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5. Changes in Mood & Personality
While it's normal to have mood swings every now and then, an abrupt change in emotions and personality is another common sign of Alzheimer's. For example, someone living with dementia may go from confused to angry to anxious in familiar settings or situations for no obvious reason.
6. Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks
People living with dementia may forget how to do familiar tasks, such as playing their favorite game, driving to places, using a cell phone, shopping for groceries, and preparing meals. This gets so challenging that it disrupts their daily life and need others to assist them.
7. Misplacing Items
Misplacing your keys is something we've all experienced before, but those living with Alzheimer's will not only misplace items and be unable to relocate them, but they may also place them in highly unusual places. As such, sometimes they'll find their keys in the refrigerator without remembering how they got there in the first place.
8. Trouble Understanding Spatial & Visual Information
Another sign of Alzheimer's disease is experiencing new challenges in processing spatial and visual information. This means it may be difficult to judge distance, control balance, or read text. Over time, bumping into furniture may become an everyday occurrence, due to the inability to distinguish colors or complex patterns.
9. Withdrawal From Social Relationships & Work
Those with dementia may also start to withdraw from work, friends, family, and other loved ones. They may lose interest or focus and have trouble keeping up with their hobbies, favorite teams, social events, and other activities.
10. Problems with Abstract Thinking
Another sign of Alzheimer's disease is having problems with abstract thinking. It may be harder to cook familiar recipes, manage finances, or keep track of monthly bills and payments. They may make frequent errors in their calculations or forget how numbers and symbols work.
Now that you know the 10 most common warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, here are 10 ways to prepare for it.
1. Educate Yourself
As one of the most common causes of dementia, Alzheimer's is incurable and worsens over time. It's important to read up on this disease and how symptoms and signs present themselves so you can better recognize it if it happens, as well as know how to respond.
2. Get Moving
Exercise isn't only good for your heart and physical health, but it's also good for the brain. Studies have shown that people who regularly engage in physical activity are 20% less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who don't, so aim to get at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise every day.
3. Prioritize Mental Health
Poor mental health has been linked to an increased risk of developing dementia. In fact, research has found that those who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, are more than four times more likely to develop dementia than those without a disorder. It's important to reach out to someone if your mental health declines or becomes too difficult to manage.
4. Challenge Yourself Every Day
Whether it's playing chess or completing a daily Sudoku or crossword puzzle, try to challenge your brain every day. While it's not proven that keeping this habit slows or prevents cognitive decline and dementia, it's still important to introduce complex problems for your brain to solve to keep it sharp.
5. Keep a Full Social Calendar
Whenever you can, go outside. Join a club, volunteer, meet with your friends, and keep your social calendar full. According to research, social isolation may increase your risk of developing dementia by around 60%. On the contrary, greater social engagement is linked to a 30-50% lower chance of developing dementia.
6. Make Your Home Safer
Alzheimer's disease and dementia can make it difficult to navigate around your home or recognize colors or patterns. Make your space safer by making sure you allow a lot of light in so things are in plain sight. It's also a good idea to ensure your flooring, rugs, mats, furniture, and other items won't be tripping hazards.
7. Remind Yourself Where Things Are
With memory loss being one of the most common signs of dementia, it will help immensely to keep track of where you place items. You can draw pictures or put up signs to remind yourself where things are kept, so you're struggling to find things you've misplaced. Doing this may also help you keep items in the same spots every time.
8. Use Contrasting Colors
As mentioned, dementia can make it difficult to differentiate colors or patterns, so having stripes or similar shades in your home may cause confusion. Instead, use contrasting tones, like bright, vibrant plates, cups, containers, walls, and furniture, to avoid getting things muddled.
9. Keep Your Space Clutter-Free
Try to keep your space tidy and minimalistic so things are less likely to cause confusion. Having a cluttered home with everything strewn about and disorganized may throw you off, so get rid of excessive items whenever you can.
10. Limit Junk Food—or Skip It Altogether
While there technically isn't a direct link that limiting junk or unhealthy foods can lower your risk of developing dementia, it's nonetheless better to eat more nutritious meals and exercise regularly to lead a healthier lifestyle. In particular, it may help to follow a Mediterranean diet which is rich in veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seafood. If you can, eat more fish to load up on good fats like omega-3 fatty acids.
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