Blog - ReaDementia

15 Signs of Memory Loss (Dementia) 2023

Rok Krivec Blog, Signs January 9, 2021February 25, 2023alzheimer's disease, dementia, memory, memory loss

Stop wondering; here are the most common signs of memory loss which everyone should be familiar with. These can be the beginning signs of dementia, which is why you should definitely mark them down.

Memory loss, which is at times called amnesia can be described as an anomalous degree of forgetfulness or the inability to remember past events.

Depending on the cause, poor memory can happen gradually or all over a sudden. It can also be temporary or permanent.

Lack of memory can either be the inability to recall recent events or those from long ago. Some people experience a combination of the above.

Normal aging typically does not cause significant memory loss. It only happens when there is an accompanying illness responsible for the loss of memory.

One of the biggest concerns for medical practitioners and relatives is whether poor memory is associated with a type of dementia.

This is because the loss of memory can be one of the symptoms of brain malfunctioning.

Dementia, on the other hand, describes cognitive decline symptoms of multiple brain disorders and underlying diseases. It is usually not easy to tell that a person’s memory is declining.

Most of the symptoms will show up in a subtle manner and progress over time.

Have a look at some of the signs of memory loss to be on the lookout for if you suspect that a person is experiencing poor memory.

Common Signs of Memory Loss

1. Confusion

You can tell a person is having challenges with their memory when they cannot think with their usual degree of clarity. Time and again, confusion leads to the failure to recognize familiar places and people.

A majority of people will also have a hard time telling the date or time. Confusion can also bring about feelings of disorientation and it can also impair the ability of a person to make good decisions.

2. Loss of Language Subtleties

Communication problems also count as part of memory loss signs.

Changes in memory can cause a person to struggle when they are talking.

Most of the time, you will discover that they get lost in conversations even when the topic is on a subject they are familiar with. Often individuals with memory loss issues will also struggle to pick on the right words to use when they are discussing an idea.

3. Lack of Concentration

Difficulty concentrating is characteristic for people who have memory loss. This is because poor memory affects how a person thinks and their level of concentration.

Lack of memory affects a persons’ attention span as their concentration decreases. This usually results in difficulties focusing and one being distracted easily.

A high percentage of individuals with memory loss issues will start doing one task and leave it before it is complete. For instance, a loud noise may dismantle the completion of tasks like making a bed or reading the newspaper.

This can cause problems especially if a person is working because they have to be reminded to complete their job at all times.

4. Inability To Control Emotions

People regulate or control their emotions daily. A person not being able to control emotions is considered to be one of the signs of memory loss.

This simply means that responses are inappropriate or disruptive, given a particular setting.

Some of the emotions that an individual may have include fear, anger, anxiety, and sadness to mention a few.

Individuals with memory loss issues usually feel out of control and they can be overwhelmed by their feelings. This is where you can also observe a person with impaired memory happy for a few moments before they become angry or start crying.

5. Completing Daily Tasks Becomes A Struggle

Many people think that going about their daily tasks is a simple thing that comes automatically. Getting out of bed, taking a shower, brushing teeth, or walking to the mailbox are some of the activities that people take for granted.

Loss of memory can make these easy daily tasks become an uphill struggle. One might even forget how to hold a toothbrush to do the necessary.

Walking to the mailbox may take longer than usual. An individual may find themselves neglecting personal hygiene because things, like taking a bath and dressing up, became a problem.

6. Changes in Movement

A person experiencing loss of memory can also change their movements. It is possible that an individual just wants to move from one room to another without any purpose.

Things become dangerous when they extend their movement outdoors and want to walk on busy streets with cars without a care in the world.

Most people end up getting lost, tasking their loved ones or caregivers to start looking for them to make sure they are safe.

7. Accumulating Unnecessary Items

Many people who have impaired memory will start to hoard at some point. This is where a person wants to pile up things that they do not need.

It can be things like clothes, utensils, art pieces, house keys, and toys, etc.

In most cases, someone usually forgets that they have something; thus, go out and buy the same thing.

In other cases, one will misplace something in the house or office; therefore, think that they lost it thus they need a new item.

8. Self-care Is no Longer a Priority

Among the signs of memory loss include when a person no longer takes care of themselves the way they used to. Some people will forget to take up activities like bathing, combing hair, or flossing.

Others might not be in a physical position to change clothes, clean their rooms or homes or take a shower.

Another section of individuals with poor memory will think that neglecting personal grooming is not an issue. It normally happens when the affected individual lives alone or blatantly refuse help from those around him or her.

9. Failure to Spot a Liar or Pick Up On Sarcasm

Whether a person appreciates it or not, sarcasm is a huge part of today’s culture. It is a fun way to be critical.

People who experience loss of memory usually have a hard time picking up sarcasm. They can take this as a personal attack and things may end up badly.

Some individuals even have trouble deciphering when a person is lying to them.

This makes them fall easily for unscrupulous individuals who are only out to take advantage of them.

10. Disregarding Social Laws And The Law

It is common for people who have issues with memory to lose their sense of social norms.

Studies show that such individuals will not have a problem engaging in criminal activities like breaking into a person’s home or shoplifting.

Others will also exhibit unsuitable interpersonal behaviors, such as making rude sexual comments or actions.

This is something that does not only make people around them uncomfortable, but it can also lead to trouble with the law.

11. Having Trouble Managing Money

Individuals with impaired memory will often have a hard time managing resources. It may start with simple issues like keeping up with bills or expenses or balancing checkbooks.

As time passes, one might start to make poor financial decisions that affect their lives negatively.

Many people dismiss this symptom as a part of normal aging but in an actual sense, it is not. The majority tend to think that aging is synonymous with losing a person’s mind, which is a wrong notion.

It is; therefore, necessary for the person with poor memory to receive genuine assistance with money management.

12. Reduced Gaze

This is one of the signs of memory loss that many people do not take seriously. Reduced gaze is when memory impairment alters an individual’s ability to move their eyes normally.

While people with “good” memory will tack and move their eyes frequently, lack of memory can make one appear that they are always staring a lot. This can also cause difficulties when a person is reading.

It is where an individual may find themselves skipping some words or full lines when reading a text.

In the first days, the person whose memory is affected not be aware of this new development in their life but people around them may pick it out easily.

13. Not Knowing what Familiar Objects are Used for

Loss of memory can put one in a dilemma where they cannot easily recognize what objects they are familiar with are used for.

This is where they try to rack their brain, trying to figure out the name of something they use daily. It can be an item such as a hairdryer or shaving kit.

Despite using the items well before, individuals with memory issues may be clueless when it comes to the use of objects they need to use every day.

14. Consuming Rancid Foods and Non-food Objects

Among the surprising signs of memory loss is where a person can be comfortable eating spoilt or rancid foods. It is primarily because the individual forgets what to do with the things that are in front of them.

This means that they may not be able to tell the expiry dates of the foods in their refrigerator or pantry.

A person may also find themselves wanting to eat the flowers in a restaurant setting. They may be aware that they are in a restaurant to eat but not necessarily know why the flowers are on the table.

15. Mixing words

It becomes pretty apparent that an older adult has a problem with memory when they start to mix words. Meaning, instead of saying “tea,” they go for “coffee.” Or even words that have little to no correlation, like mixing the word “dog” for a “table.”

Needless to say, something similar happened to all of us already and, very likely, not once. However, if this becomes a repeated practice, even in a row, the chances are that memory is troubling them.

When this occurs, it would be ideal if you could take the person who is showing signs of memory loss to see the doctor as quickly as possible.

13 First Signs of Dementia & Symptoms 2023

Rok Krivec Blog, Signs January 8, 2021February 25, 2023dementia, early signs of dementia, signs of dementia

If you are aware of the first signs of dementia, you can act early and lighten the effects of the disease on a person.

We can briefly describe dementia as multiple symptoms that affect an individual’s cognitive functioning.

This can alter how a person reasons, thinks and remembers. It is usually not very easy to tell that a person has dementia, especially in the initial stages.

This is because the early signs usually are quite vague and subtle. In some instances, they are almost similar to the effects of aging.

However, there are some that may clearly come out so that you can know when to seek medical attention.

Below we will look at the most common signs and symptoms of dementia you should be aware of.

The most common first signs of dementia

1. Memory Lapses

Memory impairment is one of the first signs of dementia. A person with this medical condition will have problems remembering even the simplest things.

It does not have to be something that happened ages ago. The person may forget the information that they have just learned.

While talking to such an individual, you may find that you constantly have to repeat something over and over, and still they do not remember a thing. It is also common to lose track of vital dates, events, and names of loved ones.

At this point, the individual continually has to rely on memory aids such as electronic devices and reminder notes for things that they formerly used to handle easily on their own.

2. Changes in Abstract Thinking

Challenges with abstract thinking also characterize the onset of dementia. Persons with dementia will often have difficulties performing mental tasks.

For instance, conducting monetary transactions becomes such a huge deal that a person cannot even pay a bill.

Planning tasks, organizing projects and making proper decisions become more difficult. In line with this, a person with this illness may not know the steps to follow to prepare a meal or even put on clothes properly.

You may even lose such a person mid-conversation because their levels of concentration reduce significantly. The individuals may find themselves in danger, for instance, if they are driving and have problems with directions.

3. Apathy

Apathy is another possible first sign of dementia. While it may be quite normal for humans to “lose their spark” occasionally, a person with dementia may experience a persistent loss of motivation to do anything.

He/she may lack interest in the things that they once found joy in. Apathy is not something that will come and go; once present, it remains persistent.

Apathy may result in a person losing curiosity in new things and even interest to interact with people. It is also associated with unemotional responses to personal events or news.

The Alzheimers Society reckons that about 50-70% of individuals with dementia also have apathy.

4. Rapid Mood Changes

It is easy to notice rapid mood swings from a person who is on the initial stages of dementia. Some individuals are prone to serious medical issues like anxiety or depression.

A person with the illness may, at one point, become unusually happy and after a few minutes, they are shedding real tears.

Additionally, people who are aware of their loss of ability to recall memories and information, communicate, and function may go through a wide range of emotions.

These can include frustration, fear, anger, and sadness.

Many people will also develop behaviors that are out of character like acting up in a social setting and becoming highly irritable.

5. A Shift in the Ability to Complete Normal Tasks

When a person is not able to complete everyday tasks, it may be an indication of the first signs of dementia.

Sometimes, an individual will find it almost impossible to maintain a budget or remember the rules of a game they love to play.

A person may find themselves seeking help all the time when they want to record a TV show or change the settings in the microwave.

An individual may also have a difficult time driving to a location they always go to, say the mall or office.

Sadly, this is something that only gets worse as the disease progresses where a person slowly loses their independence.

6. Confusion

Confusion is another sign to look out for if you suspect that someone is in the first stages of dementia.

A person may no longer be in a position to remember familiar faces. He or she may have faces and names mixed up.

For example, a mother may refer to her daughter as the son and the son as the brother or friend. Naturally, a confused person will not interact with others regularly.

It also becomes very easy for these individuals to lose track of the passage of time, seasons, and dates. They may have challenges understanding why something is not happening on their clock.

Someone can be in their house and have no clue how and why they are in the home.

7. Problems with Words while Writing or Speaking

A classic first sign of dementia is trouble with words during a speech or when a person is writing. Identifying the right words to use on various occasions becomes an uphill task.

Vocabulary also becomes a problem.

Some individuals may even forget the meaning of some words. They may also struggle to follow storylines whether they are talking to a person or watching their favorite TV program.

At times, it may imply that a person has problems with their vision. This can cause an individual not to be able to read well, determine color, or contrast, judge distance, and other related issues.

8. Failing Sense of Direction

Spatial orientation and the sense of direction stars to deteriorate when a person first starts experiencing dementia. It can mean anything from forgetting routes that a person regularly uses to failing to recognize familiar landmarks.

This also comes with difficulties following step-by-step instructions or a series of directions.

It is one of the reasons why caregivers must keep an eye on people with dementia because there are multiple cases of wandering and getting lost.

Where possible, the person with dementia should stay in a gated community so that even when they take walks and do not know where they are going, they will not leave the gates of the community.

9. Lapse in Judgement

Poor judgment is something that cannot be ignored when discussing the first signs of dementia. This is where a person is not in the right frame of mind to make sound decisions.

They are not able to evaluate the various factors they need to consider to make an appropriate decision.

Note that this is not all about questionable decisions. It is about a noticeable pattern of inappropriate actions and decisions.

An example is a lady or gentleman who is not able to assess safety limits. He or she may want to cross the road on a busy road oblivious of the danger that lays ahead.

10. Social Withdrawal

Social withdrawal is another sign you can expect from a person with dementia. It is usually most recognizable from persons who have bubbly outgoing personalities.

Such people no longer want to hang out with their friends or family. They want to retreat into a cocoon and stay by alone.

You will notice that such people slowly start removing themselves from social activities, sports, work projects, and hobbies.

Your calls may go answered or they may promise to meet up and not end up fulfilling these promises. Sometimes this is fuelled by embarrassment because they are aware that life is not what it was.

11. Losing Things

Misplacing and losing things can also count as the first signs of dementia. A person may put simple things like keys or valuables in unusual places and forget where they kept them in the first place.

Putting a remote in a freezer and groceries in the socks drawer may appear normal to an individual with dementia.

This sign goes hand in hand with the inability to retrace steps because a person is not able to go back and find their things again. Every now and then, the affected person may accuse people around him or her of stealing.

Some individuals will get to the extent of hiding things and even get into an unhealthy habit of hoarding.

12. Challenges with Vision

One of the earliest signs of dementia could be challenges with vision. Of course, it is crucial to understand that vision problems can be due to old age.

That said, do not panic right away. Whether you notice impaired vision or you witness your loved one having issues, do seek a doctor as fast as possible. This is especially important if the person is still driving.

Either way, taking action early enough can get rid of the inconvenience that can occur later down the line. It is important to examine yourself on a daily basis since you can avoid a lot of headaches this way.

13. Poor hygiene

You know something is happening with your older adult (or anyone else) when they start to neglect personal hygiene.

Of course, this not necessarily means they have dementia. There are all sorts of different reasons why a person might begin lacking hygiene – and dementia sure is one of them.

It is one of the first signs of dementia that you can spot pretty easily, as it is tough to hide it. Even if they do try to hide it, they will typically start to wear a lot of perfume or cologne.

Make sure you are always paying close attention when something unordinary starts to happening and take your loved one to see a specialist as early as possible.

15 Fun And Exciting Dementia Activities 2023

Rok Krivec Blog January 7, 2021September 9, 2023dementia, dementia activities, dementia exercises

With simple, fun, exciting and stimulating dementia activities, you can help reduce stress, anxiety and the development of depression.

Not only that, if a person with dementia feels scared all the time or is in anger, keeping them engaged in different activities and exercise can relieve the condition.

Besides, and most importantly, with daily movements and motions, you can also help them slower the process of going from one stage of dementia to another.

Activities and exercise not only boost mood, brain blood flow and keep one get to a better state, they also connect people.

In some cases, family and friends struggle to keep the synergy with the person with dementia, and introducing different activities might help remarkably well.

With different dementia activities, you can also help bring back memories. For instance, if they really liked to cook or bake, you can have a lot of fun with them in the kitchen.

Moreover, if their hobby was painting, get a blank canvas and turn it into a masterpiece with them. The options are endless.

Easy and practical dementia activities

1. Exercise

Exercise has been of great benefit to people who have dementia. This dementia activity helps seniors to sleep peacefully, makes them feel energized and reduces the extent to which they can fall into depression.

As their bodies tend to be more fragile, it is best to start with exercises that take little time, perhaps five minutes. However, add a minute every day until they can comfortably exercise for 30minutes every day.

Ensure to engage in an exercise the person loves to participate. It could be cycling, aerobics, walking or dancing.

Notice: dancing is especially rewarding. Show how it is being done and ask the person to follow your steps. If it is an exercise that involves going to a class, you could try to attend the class together to motivate him/her.

2. Introduce them to physical activities

Physical activities help seniors feel they are useful at home. Take note of their interests or ask them what they love to do. By knowing what they want, you will be able to tailor their physical activities towards what they like.

Amongst others, one dementia activity to keep seniors happily engaged is towel folding. As it is easy to do that, seniors will feel successful.

Whether they folded it to your taste or not, they would feel good knowing more at what they do. Whatever activity they want to engage in, ensure it is one that will make them feel successful.

3. Animal/doll therapy

This is one of the best dementia activities that has worked for a lot of seniors. If your senior loves animals, you can buy a pet they love. Over times, pets are known to relieve owners of stress and reduce anxiety.

Incorporating pet therapy will help boost serotonin, make them feel good and secure as well as lower their blood pressure.

You can also include doll therapy. Provide the senior with a doll, a cot, baby cloth, and a basin. They will feel like they have a kid who they take care of thereby giving them the needed relief.

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4. Build a memory box

People who have dementia tend to lose their memory and sense of judgment more than any other person. A great way to help those with dementia is by building a memory box.

The memory box is a dementia activity that can help an older adult feel connected to activities that happened in the past. Get a box and fill it with their photos and tools that remind them of their career and their hobbies.

If the senior used to be a teacher, you could fill the box with a pen, marker, books, even jotters.

5. Loosen knots

Older people with dementia tend to be anxious especially when they do not have an idea of what they are doing or when they are not comfortable in their immediate environment.

You can help them feel relaxed by giving them a task that requires their patience. Telling them to untie a knot is a great dementia activity to help them manage their situation.

Get a long thick rope from your local store, tie a few knots and give it to your older adult to loosen.

Tell them to take their time with it rather than struggle to finish up. You can help by showing your older adult how the task can be calmly solved.

6. Create a picture puzzle

Get a favorite family picture that includes every member of the family. Ensure it is a picture that your senior or older adult cherishes.

If you do not have a family picture, you can print an image of their favorite pet, favorite movie character, favorite artist or anything that calls their attention.

Laminate the picture to make it handy and cut the laminated picture into six or more puzzle shaped pieces.

Give your older adult the pieces and tell them to fix the puzzle. It is a fantastic way to help them keep a focused mind.

7. Take your older adult out

Older adults get easily bored. Most of them grumble in regards to their lonely condition. Constant grumbling leads to depression. You can minimize their problems by taking them out.

Have them go out with you, take them shopping, walk around the town, take them to an amusement park or a place that will be of interest to them. Help them derive pleasure through what they see.

However, when you go out with your older adult, ensure they do not go out of sight as you may lose them. Since they might not remember anything, things may get complicated for you.

8. Let them read

Reading is a means to keep the minds of your older adult occupied. If your older adult loves to read, you can give them their favorite book and ask them to read.

You can ask them to read to people around. In a case where it seems difficult for them to read, you can read for them, as well as remind them of the focus of the book.

When you are done reading, you can ask them what they have learned. If it is a controversial topic, you can request your older adult’s opinion.

This dementia activity is a terrific way for them to be knowledgeable about a subject matter and is a better alternative to TV series.

9. Pom-Poms game

A challenging game like Pom-Poms is helpful for older adults. You can make use of color cardboards for easy identification when you want to introduce this game to your older adult.

Give older adults the pom-poms and give them containers that share the same color with the pom-poms.

Afterward, instruct them to place the pom-poms in the container with the matching color. In case they are beginning to have color blindness, Pom-poms game is an excellent way of improving their ability to identify colors and differentiate them.

10. Initiate conversations

It is quite common that old and lonely people keep to themselves. You can make them feel at home by initiating conversations that will be of interest to them.

It could be in sports or fashion or anything at all. Tell them what you think about the latest trend and ask for their opinion.

You can go as far as showing them YouTube videos of their favorite celebrity or club. Doing this will help them connect to their youthful days thereby boosting their mood and making them feel important.

In a case where you are unavailable, a good way to initiate and sustain conversation is by displaying insects. You can build your own home ant farm for your older adults to examine in great detail.

Ants can keep them occupied for a long time. Do not be surprised if you come back home and see them talking to the ants.

11. Music therapy

If you want to please your older adult, play their favorite music or popular music known to their age. Listening to music is one dementia activity that provides comfort. It can evoke emotions and help older adults regain their memories.

Introducing music therapy is one of the best ways for them to also connect with their past.

You can stay with them to listen to their favorite song together. You can also create a playlist of their favorite music genre.

Besides, you can go as far as giving them percussion instruments to play them. So, even if you are not with them, they would not feel lonely.

12. Engage them in discussions about their life

While dementia causes a decrease in how the brain functions thereby creating a loss of memory, people who have dementia tend to lose information stored in their short term memory easily.

Here, you can talk to them about their lives.

It could be events that happened when they were young or a significant event that affected the life of your older adult. This act will help them talk freely and also allow you to know more about them.

It is best to get a video recorder to record whatever your older adult says. After that, you can give it to them to watch over and over again.

Older adults tend to have mood swings. So if they are not interested in what you are trying to do, leave them and try again later. Do not focus on the result but focus on the process.

Make them happy, and the result will be seen naturally.

13. Nostalgia

Know this, even once dementia starts progressing that does not mean that a person loses memory completely. It is the short-term memory that is affected first.

However, when it comes to long-term remembrance, a person with dementia can still recall a lot from their childhood, the time they went to high-school and even early working days.

With this in mind, getting them nostalgic about old times and reminiscing about their wedding day could be a fun and exciting dementia activity you can play at any given time of the day.

You can even create cards or read from their diary if they had one and together go back in time. Sometimes, the simplest things and exercises can have the most positive impact on a person.

14. Baking or cooking

One of the easiest ways of getting a person with dementia involved in an activity is by baking or cooking delicious dishes.

Keep in mind, you do not need to go after a souffle right away. Instead, stick to simple recipes, even such that involve just one pot. Of course, it is important to know how well their motor skills are, so it does not come to injuries.

However, a simple solution would be just not to let them use a knife. They can stir soups or knead the dough, even wash vegetables, the simple tasks in the kitchen are numerous.

15. Wander through nature

While we already listed quite a few dementia activities here, this particular one can be one of the most rewarding ones.

Not just that, it is also one of the most simplistic. And even if the person with dementia has a hard time walking, you can put them in a wheelchair and together wander through nature.

The sights, the smells, the sounds and all just viewing nature, in general, are beneficial for the body and mind. Viewing things far away is also very good and can boost our energy almost immediately.

Even if it is a small forest that you visited hundreds of times, the next time you visit it, you might see something you have not seen before. Enjoy and feel good.

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12 Common Memory Loss Causes 2023

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes January 7, 2021February 25, 2023memory, memory loss, stress

To live a healthy and happy life, you need to be aware of the most common memory loss causes and try to eliminate them as soon as possible.

Almost everyone has experienced a degree of memory loss in their lifetime. It can be something as simple as forgetting where you put your house or car keys.

It can also be as serious as completely forgetting past experiences or failure to recall facts.

Episodes of memory loss are often associated with the development of dementia, especially as a person ages.

While this illness is responsible for multiple cases of memory loss, dementia is not always the sole cause. There are other reversible factors that can also stimulate memory loss.

The Most Common Memory Loss Causes

1. Stress

Too much stress may be one of the reasons you forget things. Stress overloads the mind and if left untreated, it can result in a myriad of issues including depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, brain drain, distractions, etc.

Persons undergoing stress are always tense, finding it difficult to focus; hence, the ability to remember suffers. Moderate stress often triggers short-term memory problems.

Exposure to chronic stress may escalate the risk of developing dementia.

It’s important to employ effective stress management strategies to enrich memory. This also helps to maintain and improve the health of the body, brain, and the quality of life.

2. Medications

Several over-the-counter and prescription medicines are among the leading memory loss causes. Possible meds that may impair memory include:

Antihistamines
Muscle relaxants
Antidepressants
Anti-anxiety medicines
Sleeping pills
Diabetes medication
Cholesterol-lowering medicine
Tranquilizers
Some painkillers especially the ones that doctors administer after surgery, etc.

When seeing different doctors for various conditions, it is important that each professional knows the complete list of medication you are on. It’s the only way to avoid taking medicines that will interact with the ones that you are already taking.

You can also ask your physician whether he or she can adjust the medications you are taking to reduce confusion and forgetfulness.

3. Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Chronic alcoholism and use of illicit drugs can affect your memory. From blacking out when you overindulge to amplified risk of dementia later on, alcohol and drugs have both instant and long-lasting memory loss effects.

Alcohol causes memory loss because it alters the hippocampus activities in the brain. Heavy drinking and the use of hard drugs interfere with the ability to create fresh long-term memories.

Studies show that men who drink heavily end up showing signs of mental decline years earlier than light drinkers.

The two are also known to be the cause of other health issues like liver failure, anemia, heart diseases, and so forth.

4. Nutritional Deficiency

Your diet plays an important role in your ability to keep information and recall things. Lacking certain vitamins in the body are among the common memory loss causes that people experience.

An example is B12 an essential B vitamin that assists with regular nerve function.

When you lack this vitamin, it is easy to experience memory issues. In some cases, vitamin B12 deficit has shown symptoms that are easily mistaken for dementia.

The solution is to make sure you are getting enough B12 vitamin. You can get this from many sources like:

Fish
Dairy products
Meats
Foods fortified with vitamin B12

5. Traumatic Brain Injury

Memory issues are common in individuals who have TBI (traumatic brain injury). The injuries can damage sections of the brain that handle remembering and learning.

Generally, TBI affects newer memories more than the older ones. Some people may have problems remembering the exact cause of the injury. This means that the brain does not store specific injuries as a series of memory.

A majority of traumatic brain injury victims may not be able to store memories for some time after the injury.

Post-traumatic amnesia refers to the loss of consciousness from the TBI moment. It can last for a few minutes, weeks, or several months, depending on the severity of the brain injury.

6. Grief

Grief is amongst the emotional memory loss causes that affects many people. When you lose someone or even something you love or feel closely connected to, your body will use up lots of emotional and physical energy as a coping mechanism.

This may end up reducing your ability to focus on current events or people around you.

Consequently, your memory may suffer. A person needs time to process grief.

To some extent, grief is similar to depression, only that it stems from an acute loss or specific situation.

Depression, on the other hand, may occur without any particular cause. Support groups and individual counseling can help you successfully deal with grief.

7. Smoking

Whilst some people smoke for fun, cigarettes can harm memory. This is because smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that travels to the brain.

Studies reveal that smoking, particularly during midlife, causes poor memory.

Additionally, it makes it harder for you to learn and think. Smoking when you are over thirty years damages blood vessels in your brain and the rest of the body.

Scientists recognize smoking as a top dementia risk factor. Researchers also conclude that people who smoke are at higher risk of heart diseases.

It is best to quit smoking if you want to enjoy better functioning memory and overall health.

8. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

MCI is at the top of the list when it comes to common cognitive memory loss causes. This is when you experience a decline in mental abilities that develop slowly without necessarily changing your ability to go about your day to day activities.

There are different types of MCI.

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment is the one most associated with memory loss.

Individuals with amnestic MCI tend to have more memory problems than others in their age group. Some of the signs of MCI are:

Forgetting to go to appointments or events
Frequently losing things
Having challenges coming up with words than other individuals of the same age

9. Sleep Deprivation

The perks of getting quality sleep are simply priceless. Among them include more energy, less weight gain, and most importantly the ability to think clearer.

Lack of adequate sleep can cause fatigue, which has been shown to affect both learning and memory.

If you find that you have trouble sleeping most nights, it is advisable to look for natural ways to improve sleeping habits.

This is not just light sleeping; you need to ensure that you are enjoying rapid eye movement sleep also known as deep sleep which plays a crucial role in memory.

It’s one of the best ways to help your brain retrieve and consolidate important information.

10. Silent Stroke

Perhaps one of the most surprising memory loss cause on this list is the silent stroke.

Noticeable changes in the ability to move and think to occur when a person suffers from strokes that block major blood vessels.

There is a high chance that you will experience mild memory problems after going through silent strokes that block blood vessels. This can change modify brain function.

Worth emphasizing is that your brain is vulnerable to reduced or blocked blood flow. This is because it denies the brain enough essential nutrients and oxygen.

Persons with memory loss are at higher risk of stroke.

11. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

If a person experiences underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism, they do not feel very well both mentally and physically. Some of the main symptoms of hypothyroidism are gaining or losing weight, fatigue, poor sleep and tiredness.

For your information, underactive thyroid can also affect memory. That said, you need to understand that memory decrease does not always mean dementia or Alzheimer’s. When you assume it is hypothyroidism, a simple blood test will reveal the mystery.

From then on, with the appropriate treatment, you can alleviate the condition and bring back the old self.

If and when brain fog and forgetfulness appear, you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

12. Good fitness & exercise

It is common sense that exercise, activity and great fitness are essential for a healthy brain. Not just that, for healthy memory, too! If you exercise just for two and a half hours a week, you are better off than then the majority of the population.

Can you imagine, just 150 minutes, and you can already experience outstanding results. However, that is not the case for approx. 75% of the people over 65. As a matter of fact, they are either overweight or obese, and this happens to be one of the causes of memory loss.

To your luck, you need very little to start getting in shape, especially if you mix exercise with quality food – you are winning the game.

Vascular Dementia Prognosis and Progression

Rok Krivec Blog, Prevention, Types January 6, 2021February 1, 2024vascular dementia, vascular dementia prognosis, vascular dementia treatment

This extensive overview of vascular dementia prognosis and progression gives you a better understanding of the development of the disease during the early, middle and late stages.

Vascular dementia is a condition that occurs when a particular part of your brain does not get enough nutrients and blood.

Also known as multi-infarct dementia, studies show that it has quickly risen to become the second most common cause of dementia in golden-agers.

Contributing factors

Several factors contribute to vascular dementia prognosis, such as:

Ruptured blood vessels that cause bleeding
Blood clots
The aftermath of a series of small strokes or a major stroke
Damage to the blood vessels from infections, autoimmune disorders, and atherosclerosis
Other causes

These usually lead to interruptions or decreased blood flow to the brain.

Brain cells need a constant supply of blood that transports nutrients and oxygen to function correctly and remain healthy.

A network of vessels known as the vascular system delivers blood to the brain. When the system does not work correctly, the blood vessels may become blocked or leak.

When this happens, blood does not reach the brain cells and if this happens continuously, the cells eventually die.

Death of brain cells comes with numerous health complications. Some of them include issues with reasoning, memory, and thinking. The three elements combined are known as cognition.

Vascular dementia is one of the most wide-spread

When these cognitive problems affect a person’s daily life, it is a strong indication that they have vascular dementia.

Diagnosis of vascular dementia is sometimes difficult.

This is because there are no tests that show that an individual has the disease. Doctors will, however, study the symptoms that a person is displaying to confirm whether they have the condition or not.

The medical experts must first rule out any illnesses that have the same symptoms, such as depression or Alzheimer’s disease.

Thyroid and vitamin deficiencies, side effects of medications, or an array of infections may also cause symptoms.

Always take care of nutrients and proper brain blood flow

Now that you are aware of the likely causes of vascular dementia, let’s take a look at how the disease progresses.

Note that there is still no cure for people with this illness.

When caught early, doctors can recommend various treatment options that may see the disease progress slowly to maximize the independence of an individual with the condition.

Although the disease progresses differently for different people depending on the underlying cause, genetics, age, and overall health, it can be divided into three stages that we will discuss below.

Vascular dementia prognosis in different stages

Stage 1: Early Stage of Vascular Dementia

During the initial stages of vascular dementia, regardless of the prognosis, a person is still able to function independently. In fact, most people may mistake the symptoms of this type of dementia to be those of normal aging.

For example, older people are known to experience slight lapses in memory, such as forgetting where they place things or have challenges finding the right words to complete a sentence.

During this stage, a person may continue working if they are employed or running a business without too much difficulty.

Many maintain a healthy social life and do not need much assistance with their day to day activities.

On average, the stage lasts anywhere from two-four years though it may be more or less for some people.

Symptoms

Some of the early symptoms that an individual may experience include:

Difficulties with planning,
Problems with focusing/concentration,
Slowness of thought,
Challenges grasping new concepts,
Behavioral or mood changes,
Slight issues with language and memory, etc.

Most people will not go to the hospital because the above symptoms are barely noticeable. This is not to say that a person is not aware that things are not the way they were before.

For your information, it is vital to get immediate medical attention when you notice that something is amiss. This is because the symptoms are an indication that there is a presence of brain damage that requires treatment.

During the initial stages, a person with vascular dementia may also be unusually emotional and prone to apathy.

A high percentage of people also have depression and anxiety, especially when they first learn about what is going on in their lives.

When this type of dementia comes about after stroke, a person may experience physical symptoms like problems with speech or vision and weakness of the limbs.

Rehabilitation can help such symptoms to improve or stabilize over time.

Stage 2: Middle Stage Vascular Dementia

With vascular dementia, the disease usually becomes worse after some time, particularly with the lack of proper treatment.

After finding out the possible vascular dementia prognosis and going through the initial stages of the disease, a person then moves on to the next phase of the illness.

At this stage, the symptoms that you experienced during the initial malady start to become more intense.

You might even find that you need more assistance with your day to day life because your level of independence starts to decline.

With most people, getting help from family and friends is still sufficient at this point without the need for professional home care. For some, it may be time to step down from responsible duties at the workplace.

Help is necessary for more daily tasks

Problems with communication, disorientation, confusion, reasoning, and memory loss escalate in a way that a person is not able to be as productive as they are supposed to be.

Many can handle a few house chores here and there, but may still need some support with a few areas in their lives.

Most of the time, individuals at this stage cannot fully complete jobs. You may find that something as simple as counting from one to ten becomes an uphill task for most.

Most individuals with vascular dementia will start pulling away from social life, knowing that the symptoms are becoming more visible at this stage.

Loved ones or caregivers may discover that a person is no longer interested in doing the things that they used to love. Most of the time, it is not because they no longer have an interest. It is because they fear embarrassment since they cannot enjoy the activities in the same way they did before.

It is also common for persons in the middle stage of the illness to experience paranoia, fear, and confusion. Some people even go through changes in sleep patterns.

There have been cases of people who experience seasons of decline in cognitive abilities; then a period of stability followed by another step down in regards to cognitive skills, then stability, etc.

This is known as the “stepwise” or “step-like progression” pattern.

Stage 3: Final/Last Stage of Vascular Dementia

When a person who has vascular dementia continues to age, vascular dementia prognosis becomes more severe as the individual waits for their final resting day.

This stage is usually quite severe to the extent that most people cannot survive on their own.

They typically require constant care from expert caregivers.

An individual can either get this at home or move into a facility that specifically takes care of residents who have vascular or other types of dementia.

Unfortunately, a person predominantly experiences negative effects in different areas of their life. This can include:

Significant issues with communication to the point that a person only uses expressions or words. Some may not be able to communicate anymore verbally.
Memory becomes worse. An individual may not recall what you have just told them or even recognize people that they love.
Some people with the illness may become bedridden where they are not able to walk requiring extensive assistance to move from one point to another.
Feeding and swallowing may also become a big issue for people who are in their last stages of vascular dementia.
People with the illness tend not to have any judgment or even proper problem-solving skills.
Most individuals in this final stage cannot be part of community affairs that are outside their care home.
Many will also require assistance with bathroom issues because they are often incontinent.
Severe vascular dementia can also cause abnormal reflexes and muscle rigidity. Persons with the illness are also more prone to infections like pneumonia.

Closing Remarks

When it comes to vascular dementia prognosis, it helps to note that the symptoms of the disease usually get worse over time.

It is something that can happen in sudden steps or gradually every few months or years. Knowing the stages that people go through is vital to understand how to take care of yourself or your loved ones.

Worth noting is that everyone has a unique experience when dealing with the illness.

It is essential to seek medical advice from a professional as soon as you suspect the early symptoms of vascular dementia. The doctor will put you on a treatment regimen that may slow down the progression or prevent it from getting worse.

Researchers also agree that taking good care of the brain and the heart when you have this type of dementia can help slow down progression.

This includes things like exercising regularly, maintaining healthy blood pressure, eating healthy foods and drinks, and not smoking and drinking alcohol.

Even though the brain can repair itself to a certain level, the condition can still shorten a person’s lifespan.

This may be even shorter if a person has another heart attack or stroke that causes additional brain damage. The seriousness of this disease affects a person’s prognosis.

14 Typical Vascular Dementia Symptoms 2023

Rok Krivec Blog, Signs January 6, 2021February 25, 2023dementia, signs of dementia, symptoms of dementia, vascular dementia, vascular dementia symptoms

You should be aware of the most common vascular dementia symptoms as it is one of the most widespread. In this day and age, there are hundreds of thousands of people all around the globe that suffer from the condition.

According to the statistics, the number keeps on rising with each passing year. It is expected to be in multiple millions not that many years from now.

While, at the time of writing this, we cannot prevent dementia (any type), we need to be familiar with its symptoms. Only then, we can act accordingly and help ease the disease.

Let’s find out more about the symptoms of vascular dementia.

What is vascular dementia and its symptoms

In short, vascular dementia is when the brain lacks blood flow. In other words, brain cells do not receive enough blood on what damages and even kills them.

Even the smallest brain injury due to poor blood flow can affect the overall condition of a human being significantly.

When the brain lacks blood flow consistently, the effects may cause the development of vascular dementia. One of the most common causes is a stroke.

Bear in mind, although vascular dementia is the second most regular, it is considered underdiagnosed.

That said, today, we will look at the most common vascular dementia symptoms which will give you a better understanding of the disease.

Vascular Dementia Symptoms

1. Sudden and Frequent Headaches

Based on the underlying cause and also each individual case from one person to the next, vascular dementia symptoms vary significantly.

However, experiencing sudden and frequent headaches is amongst the earliest signs that someone is suffering from the condition. Headaches can strike any (random) time, meaning, they appear unexpectedly.

When experienced frequently following a medical event like suffering from a stroke is highly likely to have a connection with the onset of vascular dementia.

Vascular dementia comes about when there is inadequate blood flow going to the brain. It could also be the result of damaged blood vessels in the brain and these initial changes manifest as headaches.

2. Confusion

In essence, Vascular dementia collectively describes reasoning, judgment, memory, and planning problems associated with changes in blood flow supply to the brain.

Confusion is amongst the first of the cognitive symptoms that we associate with the condition. Worth noting is that the symptoms also vary depending on the part of the brain that is suffering from impaired blood flow.

Most of the symptoms are similar to those experienced with other types of dementia particularly Alzheimer’s disease. The weakness to think clearly or suffering from a sense of present awareness accompanies several conditions including vascular dementia.

It marks an inability to process thoughts in a linear way as well as the inability to recall information.

3. Trouble Concentrating

A person who has vascular dementia often starts having problems with finishing tasks to their completion. They could start an activity like cooking a meal and find it difficult to follow the recipe causing them to abandon the task eventually.

It is accompanied by a loss of alertness affecting the ability to start even the simplest of tasks. Everyone does suffer from troubles with concentrating now and then.

However, when it comes to vascular dementia the problem is more pronounced and it affects every facet of life. The worsened state also has an impact on a person’s ability to learn new skills or internalize information.

4. Disorientation

Disorientation is also one of the vascular dementia symptoms that are common to several other conditions. It affects the sense of direction and may fall on the mild to severe range.

Once again based on an individual’s particular state in terms of the progression of dementia. Also worth putting down is that vascular dementia worsens over time. Meaning, if not diagnosed early enough, it is virtually untreatable.

Also, a majority of these physical symptoms often strike at the same time.

For example, the person might experience sudden headaches followed by confusion or disorientation. The state of disorientation is also often accompanied by blurred vision.

5. Hallucinations or Delusions

Experiencing hallucinations are quite a common symptom by people suffering from progressive neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

The state of delusion leads a person with dementia to see, taste, hear, smell, or even see things that do not really exist in reality.

It also causes the person suffering from hallucinations to feel frightened, nervous and paranoid around people they do not trust.

Given that experiencing frequent hallucinations points out to an underlying cause, it can help diagnose vascular dementia when seeking medical treatment.

However, given that it is a symptom experienced with multiple other conditions including schizophrenia. It might sometimes lead to a misdiagnosis.

6. Mood Regulation Problems

Mood regulation issues are amongst the very initial vascular dementia symptoms a person can experience. When encountering multiple small strokes or other conditions that affect the brain’s blood vessels as well as nerve fibers it might lead to gradual changes in thinking.

It worsens as the damage accumulates and manifests itself through impaired judgment. That is what causes someone with the condition to laugh or cry uncontrollably entirely out of the blue.

A person with dementia might also experience a profound sense of apathy.

They show a lack of interest or enthusiasm in different situations. It may also cause the person with dementia to start behaving in a way that seems out of character or unusual.

7. Difficulty Speaking Or Understanding Speech

A person’s inability to express themselves fluently in social situations, as well as their ability to pay attention, might point out to the condition.

The degeneration of neurons, the brain’s cells, affects several body functions that rely on the brain for “direction.” The ability to pronoun words and maintain a normal speed when speaking is one of the challenges people with dementia face.

It is also often accompanied by a slower speed of thought which indeed affects speech processing and response in social situations.

Often, it is a problem experienced by those who have had strokes before and speech therapy works as a treatment option.

8. Memory Loss

Memory loss is one of the vascular dementia symptoms that develop over time. The brain more or less functions as a “store.” It stores and retrieves the information to assist the functions of the body.

When paths that relay and convey the essential information is damaged it causes memory loss. This is one of the symptoms that are very much like what is experienced by someone suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

As a person with dementia suffers from severe cases of disorientation or confusion, it gravely affects their reasoning. It starts with instances of forgetting names or recent events gradually working its way up to forgetting the sequence of daily tasks.

9. Clumsiness and Unsteady Gait

Attributing clumsiness or an unsteady gait to the condition is not very common. But the two sure are symptoms of vascular dementia.

In reality, several other factors can create an abnormality in walking because prior or underlying diseases are usually the root cause of the problem.

Damages present in the part of the nervous system tasked with controlling movement are what affect gait. It can end up resulting in a long-term problem when left untreated.

In turn, it affects the ability to perform daily tasks. It is most common in people who have subcortical vascular dementia also known as Binswanger’s Disease (BD) which affects the brain’s white matter.

10. Lack of Bowel or Bladder Control

Loss of bowel or bladder control is one of the other symptoms related to the subcortical version of the condition.

Medically referred to as incontinence, the loss of bladder control causes the unintentional passing of urine and it affects millions of people.

Often, it is attributed to aging but several other factors can contribute to developing incontinence. During the initial stages of vascular dementia, the problem is treatable through the various therapies available to people suffering from incontinence.

Treatment options include pelvic floor exercises, lifestyle changes such as cutting back on caffeine and alcohol. Additionally, severe cases require surgical intervention but there are also different incontinence products to alleviate the condition.

11. Numbness Or Paralysis

As the condition progresses, numbness or paralysis is experienced as one of the advanced vascular dementia symptoms. It could attack the face and affect the person with dementia’s facial expressions.

The numbness or paralysis might also affect one side of the face or body, which in turn limits the person’s ability to carry out their daily tasks.

In such cases, round-the-clock assistance from a caregiver is a must to help a person with dementia to carry out their everyday tasks.

Once vascular dementia reaches the full-blown stage, treatment options are insufficient.

While Alzheimer’s drugs can offer some help initially, they only provide temporary relief without necessarily preventing the decline of memory and thinking skills.

12. Lack of Interest in Daily Activities

One of the common vascular dementia symptoms is when one loses interest in daily activities. Not only that, but he or she has a problem completing mundane tasks.

What was once kids’ stuff, all of a sudden becomes a struggle.

If you notice a significant change in daily activities in your relative, observe carefully how it progresses. Bear in mind, if it is just a one-time thing, there is no need to call the doctor just yet.

However, if it keeps appearing on a regular basis, taking action is highly advisable. It is the small things and details that we should not miss when watching over an older adult before it is too late.

13. High Blood Pressure

If an individual has high blood pressure, they are more likely to experience vascular dementia.

Of course, some people have high BP and never get any dementia in their lives. Dementia is a very individual type of disease, meaning, each and every single person experiences it differently.

While high blood pressure is a factor for numerous illnesses, vascular dementia is also one of them.

However, there are simple lifestyle changes one can incorporate that will contribute to better health. With that in mind, a soon as your doctor tells you you have high BP, it is important that you start incorporating a healthy lifestyle immediately.

Of course, you do not want to transition to it in a day, as it might be shocking for your body and you can do more harm than good. Slowly progress to a clean diet, exercise, fresh air, more water and similar over at least a period of a week (if not more).

14. Thinking slows

When the person starts to show the first signs of vascular dementia, one of them is the inability to think accurately. In other words, their thinking slows down, making them take way longer to process the information as they used to.

When it comes to words and sentences, they begin to take the time to go over them before they respond. At this time, as a caregiver or family member, you should be patient. One thing that you must not do is to start urging them to think and respond faster.

This will only irritate the person, which can lead to a fight and other inconveniences.

16 Symptoms & Signs Of Dementia In Men 2023

Rok Krivec Blog, Signs January 4, 2021November 19, 2023dementia in men, signs of dementia, signs of dementia in men

While symptoms are relatively the same across both genders, there are slight differences in signs of dementia in men.

That said, we will look at the most common ones that are known to date. Besides, whenever there will be new ones discovered, we will add them to the list.

Of course, even in men, symptoms and signs may vary from person to person.

Still, there are particular signs that you will find in all types of dementia, as well as both in men and women.

Bear in mind, there are fewer men with dementia compared to women. The main cause is the fact that women do live longer than men.

As a caregiver or family member, it is necessary to be aware of the main signs of dementia in men. If a person with dementia is diagnosed early, the treatment can begin before severe damage.

Thus, you can alleviate the condition, even slow the progress.

16 Common Signs of Dementia in Men

1. Difficulty Planning

Dementia is an umbrella term that describes multiple symptoms affecting brain functions related to memory, reasoning, language, and judgment. Difficulty with planning is among the initial signs of dementia in men.

Men account for 11% of the American population of people in their 70s and older who are suffering from the condition. The figure comes from statistics collected by the ADAMS (Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study).

The study also concluded that the markedly lower life expectancy of men in the US could explain why the percentage of women suffering from dementia is higher.

Problems with planning and organizing is a cognitive change that is identifiable through things like challenges with activities that require detail or accounting.

2. Communication Impairment

The signs and symptoms of dementia vary significantly from one person to the next based on the specific cause of the condition.

Generally, the condition affects a person’s cognitive abilities, behavior, and it can also bring about physical changes as well. One of the other cognitive changes associated with dementia is communication impairment.

When a person starts having challenges finding the right words to express themselves it often points out the condition.

Often, the person with dementia may forget what they were saying mid-sentence which makes it difficult for them to hold meaningful conversations.

The same applies to written communication, and a person might find that they forget proper spelling, grammar, and use of punctuations.

3. Issues Solving Problems

There are certain regular tasks like changing the TV settings, operating a computer, or even brewing a pot of coffee that may start becoming challenging.

It is one of the signs of dementia in men affecting the ability to perform familiar tasks. These are things that a person has often done regularly without any complications.

When it starts interfering with how a person works with numbers or follows a plan the likelihood is that it’s a dementia symptom.

Ultimately, it means struggles with handling money, budgeting and paying bills on time. Worth noting is that these symptoms affect a person the same way regardless of age.

Therefore, a person with dementia who is 30 years old (very rare) may have issues with problem-solving in the same way it affects someone who is 80.

4. Difficulties Interpreting Visual Information & Losing Direction

When reading, making out colors and judging distances starts becoming problematic it can point out to dementia. It could start with things like forgetting what you just read and soon it spirals down to not being able to comprehend the meaning.

In fact, one of the offset symptoms is difficulty following storylines when reading a novel or watching a TV show.

Losing the sense of direction or spatial orientation are also other aspects that indicate the offset of dementia.

A person with dementia starts having issues recognizing familiar landmarks that affect their sense of direction.

It also means starting to get lost frequently and forgetting the directions to the places they regularly visit.

5. Lapses In Memory

Dementia affects someone due to several reasons including a previous history suffering from neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease.

Some of the other causes include vascular disorders that affect the blood supply to the brain and traumatic brain injuries from concussions or accidents.

Lapses in memory are experienced as one of the offset signs of dementia in men. A person suffering from the condition may find that they easily forget what they are meant to do or even how to use everyday objects.

It can be things like forgetting to put the groceries away or even how to use your cell phone. The lapses in memory also extend to forgetting people’s names or the names of different places.

6. Repetitiveness

The memory loss experienced with dementia coupled with general behavior changes sparks repetitiveness.

A person with dementia may find that they are repeating daily tasks because they can’t seem to recall whether or not they had completed the activity.

It involves things like repetitive shaving and collecting items obsessively. The issue also crops up mid-conversation and the person might ask the same question multiple times even after received a response.

Dementia is normally split into two groups based on whether it affects the cortical part of the brain of the subcortical region.

The cerebral cortex is the brain’s outer layer and cortical dementias usually affect language and memory. Subcortical dementia affects regions of the brain that are beneath the cortex.

It changes a person’s thinking speed and their ability to get tasks started.

7. Impaired Judgement

One of the reasons why dementia and other similar conditions are difficult to diagnose is because there is usually no impairment that’s detectable initially.

However, certain tests can point to a problem along with identifying the very first signs of dementia in men. One of the behavior changes that’s noted with people with dementia is the inability to make sound judgments.

A person with the condition begins making decisions that they would otherwise never have made like buying large quantities of things they don’t really need.

Someone suffering from dementia also typically has a tough time determining what is reasonable or fair leading them to pay too much.

8. Mood Changes

Mood shifts are a part of changes experienced with dementia leading a person to become anxious, irritable, fearful or depressed.

Depression sets in when someone with the condition begins becoming more confused and unable to make sense of the changes they experience.

Other people who regularly interact with someone with dementia are the ones who can recognize the mood changes.

As the condition worsens, a person with dementia might become increasingly disinhibited and even misbehave.

It comes with personality shifts going from one extreme to the other for instance a shy person suddenly becoming outgoing because of how the condition affects their judgment.

9. Social Withdrawal

Another characteristic of dementia impact is losing interest in activities or hobbies. The fact of the matter is, they find it difficult to remember sequences or game rules.

A person develops listlessness or apathy making them withdraw socially. Meaning, they may not want to engage in typically fun activities anymore. It extends to losing interest when it comes to spending time with family and friends.

The person may come off as emotionally flat and almost disengaged which to most people appears like depression.

It is even worse for a working person because it ultimately affects their productivity because they develop challenges paying attention and communicating effectively.

10. Improper Grooming

As the state of a person with dementia continues to decline, they also have increased difficulties attending to activities of daily living.

One of the signs of dementia in men is improper or lack of grooming.

It ties in with difficulties performing tasks because of forgetfulness or memory lapses. The person might start a normal task like shaving but become distracted mid-way and fail to complete the activity.

Another cause would be sinking into depression which often causes someone to neglect their personal grooming and hygiene.

At this point, a person with dementia may start developing a need for assistance from a professional to perform their daily activities.

11. Coordination and Movement Difficulties

In the later stages of dementia, people start having difficulties with coordination and movement.

Someone with the condition may come off clumsy because of their diminished ability to coordinate their movements. For some, they may lose their mobility entirely and end up bedridden.

This is the stage of severe decline when a person with dementia requires literally round-the-clock assistance. At this point, they will need help with tasks like eating and going to the restroom.

The memory challenges associated with the condition also become more pronounced; the person might not remember the most familiar pieces of information like their spouse’s name.

12. Incontinence

The subcortical form of dementia usually affects a person’s bladder and even bowel control. The medical term used to refer to the condition is incontinence.

The inability to control the bladder process results in passing urine unintentionally. Millions of people suffer from incontinence often due to aging but it can accompany dementia as an underlying symptom.

During the initial stages of dementia treatment options are available to help reverse the problem.

However, when the condition progresses and other symptoms become aggravated it becomes increasingly difficult to manage it.

Surgical interventions typically provide significant assistance at the very start for severe cases of incontinence.

13. Losing The Ability To Speak

The later stages of decline reduce someone with dementia to depend fully on assistance from caregivers.

Often, family members have to make the difficult decision to commit their loved one to an assisted living facility that offers care for people with end-stage dementia.

One of the signs of dementia in men at this very late stage is the complete loss of speech. It initially starts out as an issue with pronouncing words or maintaining normal speed when speaking.

As the decline continues, the person suffers from difficulties processing thoughts in a regular way. It becomes increasingly difficult for them to hold a meaningful conversation.

Eventually, they may no longer be able to speak and this is a problem experienced mostly by people who have suffered from strokes before.

14. Strange Behavior

To some extent, this particular sign of dementia in men was covered in earlier paragraphs. However, there are still oh so many different types of behavior that may show the first signs of dementia development.

From unusual language and hiding things to weird clothing outfits and frequent excitement, these are just some of the signs of strange behavior in an older adult that you should be aware of.

In short, if your loved one does things differently than usual, and if it happens repeatedly, you need to take the sudden switch more seriously.

Of course, you need to understand that if someone starts hiding gadgets or forgetting where he or she put a remote controller, it does not necessarily mean they have the early stage of dementia. Better seek doctor sooner rather than later.

15. Symptoms Advance Slower

First, this is not really a symptom, but it deserves its own paragraph due to how important it is.

When it comes to dementia and men, the symptoms do not progress as fast as they do in women. Duke University Medical Center conducted an eighty-year long study, finding how fast cognitive functions decline in women. In fact, it’s twice as fast.

One of the reasons for this big difference might be due to the fact that fewer men happen to be diagnosed with dementia (or Alzheimer’s).

It is not something that is talked about much, so that’s why we decided to point it out. It is also no secret that signs of dementia in men might be completely different compared to women.

16. Difficulty Concentrating

When it comes to signs of dementia in men, we need to mention a lack of concentration.

When an individual starts to experience dementia, difficulty in concentrating occurs. It is a widespread symptom that a caregiver or a loved one can sport reasonably easily.

Of course, this does not immediately mean that the person has dementia. Not just that, if it happens over a period of two or three days, you do not need to panic in case it settles afterward.

However, once this becomes a frequent practice, and it even begins to involve anger and possible violence, you should take them to the doctor or specialist immediately.

Coping After The Death Of Someone With Dementia

Adrienne Ione Blog December 18, 2020October 18, 2021death, dementia, grieving

If we view death as a ceasing of prospects and dementia as an even further constricting event, we might be viewing reality from behind Vaseline smeared lenses. People all have different experiences coping after the death of someone with dementia.

It could be helpful to frame dementia death with a wide gaze toward wonder and curiosity, unknowns and possibilities or loving kindness and equanimity.

Does dementia expand or limit our possibilities for grieving?

Just as some people with dementia lose cognitive capacities and need instructions of daily tasks, processes and experiences repeated, death, too, repeats with each stage of dementia.

Death can be heard echoing down the walls of the dementia corridor and reverberating in the mind-body connections.

Dementia death holds the possibility of our love being magnified beyond the resolution of one half of a hydrogen atom viewed under a microscope at the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs.

Different Dementia Death Experiences

Dementia death is not a single event, rather multiple.

Each death cascades into the next phase of dementia existence. Some have called dementia a “death of the person that once was.”

The present self is very much alive. The infiniteness of possibilities in dementia death experiences can be unified into three overlapping spaces and placed along a continuum: cognitive, emotional and physical.

Each aggregate has a corresponding type of grief. At one end of the dementia death continuum is cognitive death. Ambiguous loss can offer a comforting landing space for grappling with the complexities of these losses.

At the other end of the continuum is the physical ceasing of bodily functions – when the last breath is exhaled. Anticipatory grief may offer a lens through which to view this seemingly drawn out process.

In the middle, emotional or psychological death can be understood within the context of emotional memory. Disenfranchised grief may be a way to safely integrate the past and present.

Put differently, cognitive memories may become a watercolor display that is faintly visible to the viewer, while emotional memory is splashed in vibrant acrylic.

Cognitive Death – Ambiguous Loss

Ambiguous loss is felt in the incongruence between physical and cognitive death – here and gone.

When loss is riddled with unknowns, the bodily mechanisms that create equilibrium are unduly taxed leading to extraordinary overload and systemic exhaustion. This process can also be understood in the words of Dr. Pauline Boss, developer of ambiguous loss theory, who claims that “cognition is blocked by the ambiguity and lack of information, decisions are put on hold, and coping and grieving processes are frozen.”

When our ability to pass through grief phases, zones or stages is blocked, we remain in a reactive, repetitive and reoffending state of trauma.

Unlike an event having a succinct beginning, middle and end, episodes of psychological, spiritual and emotional trauma deliver a violent punch with the force only a professional boxer can provide. Over and over and over.

A person experiences a barrage of stimuli, visually reliving and reviewing the terror of events that flood the mind-body motherboard and shorts out circuits to other mind-body connectors.

Emotional Death – Disenfranchised Grief

Disenfranchised grief, coined by Kenneth Doka, an innovative grief expert and Professor Emeritus at Graduate School of The College of New Rochelle, a concept later expanded on by Thomas Attig, Professor Emeritus at Bowling Green State University, can be used to understand the significance of psychological or emotional losses.

Doka emphasizes the important role “hidden” losses play in our grief processes. This type of grief occurs when losses are not recognized, validated or socially sanctioned. These losses are experienced by the person with dementia in that others are not able to understand their needs, in part due to reduced verbal communication.

For a person with dementia, psychological losses are experienced with identity, agency, roles, selfhood and personhood. A person’s emotional memory gets engulfed by their cognitive deficits or diminishing mental capacity to the point of non-recognition.

Such a state of ambiguity can be confusing for people attached to Cartesian ideas of dualism. Dead or alive. Happy or sad.

Dementia is the quintessential range of human emotions and does not fit so neatly into a Western conceptualization of thriving-suffering.

Although the effects of dementia can be seen in structural, functional and neuronal shifts in the brain, emotional memory remains intact.

Fostering positive emotional experiences can ease dementia transitions. Acts of validation and integration are multiple – by self and others.

For others: listen to the meaning of what is being communicated rather than the words being spoken. Connect. Practice present moment awareness as defined by the person with dementia. For self: be here.

Practice present moment awareness. Here may be this minute, 1 hours ago, 1 year ago or some other time.

Physical Death – Anticipatory Grief

Anticipatory grief occurs as the person with dementia, family members and caregivers prepare for the final death – gone and gone. In the West, the process of mourning is an act of detachment. As some have said, dementia death is “the long goodbye.”

Liew and colleagues talk about the “pre-death grief” involved in dementia. With anticipatory grief, self and others anticipate future losses, most often in the face of life-limiting illnesses. The hope of reattaching occurs through reunification.

A universal response to loss unfolds in spiritual and religious texts and beliefs about reunification or when attempting to reunite with one who is deceased. As Willard Waller, American sociologist once said, “Other persons are present to us less from the evidence of our senses than from the activity of our imaginations.”

In many Eastern cultures, death is linked to love, and compassion to sadness.

Grief is individualized, personal and unique. Grief responses and experiences mirror the differences found in water. From the calm predictable ebb and flow seen in a neap tide to the raging waters of a rip current in the Gulf Stream to everywhere in between.

Gordon Allport, American Psychologist, reminds us of the uniqueness of individuals and his dictum can apply to grief – no one’s grief is like any other’s grief. Or we may find comfort in the Theraveda Buddhism parable of the mustard seed where Kisa learns her suffering is like everyone else’s.

Integrating Death with Life and Life with Death

A theoretical model of mourning for people with dementia must consider one’s history of losses. As Volkan suggests: “We can never purge those who have been close to us from our own history except by psychic acts damaging to our own identity.”

We grieve in the community. We are connected by love-loss. Grounded in the work of Worden’s tasks of mourning, I am offering a theoretical model of mourning in dementia death.

It can be conceptualized as a circular continuum with multidirectional movement. After assessing mastery of previous losses, acknowledging the impermanence of current cognitive-emotional-physical loss, process any additional feelings that arise, adjust to a world without the former self or the person with dementia, and acclimate to current life through full mind-body integration.

Bowlby reminds us when we resist integration the body breaks down. I would add, and the mind.

Honoring & Embracing Impermanence

A modular view of the mind suggests the conscious mind does not offer a full picture or representation of an event and our subconscious plays an active role.

This is evidenced in a study of people in a grocery store who selected one of four items (all items of which were the same) and provided explanations for their reason for selection. The conscious part of the human mind attempts to fill in information that is assumed to not have access to.

Similarly, we can borrow from research on craving and addiction where people provide explanations for their behavior that are not full portrayals of the totality of cognitive processes.

Mindfulness meditation can offer a moderating effect, by making less nuanced our choices in day to day life. Further, mindfulness informed grieving may soften the jagged edges of dementia death.

By engaging in mindfulness practices, we are not pulled into a dichotomous trap of this or that, yes or no. Tolstoy reminds us of the view of grief as an expansion of love. Kumar invites a perspective of grief as a self-awakening journey.

Neuroscientist Judson Brewer promulgates the importance of a curious mind. Tara Brach, an American psychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community developed a method of RAIN (recognize – allow – investigate co– nurture) to interrupt the concept of permanence.

Adopting an objective observer’s perspective of loss and death may lead to less suffering.

At the same time, Robert Wright, author of Why Buddhism is True, suggests, “the category we put [events into then] shapes the perception of its essence. There is always an implied narrative.”

American psychologist, Paul Bloom concurs, “We always experience something under some view as an instance of a category.” Awareness is key.

A combination of meditation, breath awareness, and a curious mind may be just the agents needed to remove some of the Vaseline from the lenses of our glasses.

With a clear view, we might embrace the quirky space between here and gone. We just might move closer to appreciating the beauty in the uncertain space between dementia life and dementia death.

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