Three dementia signs you ‘shouldn’t ignore’ that have nothing to do with memory

One ‘risky’ sign could affect your money, safety and care

Dementia is a progressive deterioration in cognitive ability that is frequently primarily linked with memory loss and disorientation that becomes serious enough to interfere with a person’s daily life and functioning. Yet, the condition impacts numerous bodily systems that have no connection to memory whatsoever.

Numerous early dementia indicators are also mistaken for the consequences of typical ageing. Experiencing the warning signals can be ‘normal’ if it’s merely one or two occasionally, but spotting these problems regularly could be something requiring a conversation with your GP, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK, which encouraged folk not to disregard the signs.

Risky decisions

Dementia and Alzheimer’s can disturb the frontal lobes, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK. This is the brain region that assists us with tasks like identifying potential scams and considering outcomes before acting on something.

An early indicator of the condition can lead people to progressively develop worse judgement or begin making more hazardous decisions that aren’t characteristic of them. This can especially place their finances, safety and personal care in jeopardy.

For instance, they may begin paying reduced attention to personal hygiene and grooming practices or start maintaining cleanliness less frequently. Nevertheless, making sporadic poor decisions like overlooking one monthly payment can be an indication of typical age-related conduct, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Social withdrawal

Additional signs of dementia, such as difficulty finding appropriate words or recalling people’s names, can make social interaction more challenging to manage. Due to this blend of symptoms, someone with dementia may begin retreating from their regular social engagements to sidestep these challenges.

Keeping pace with rapid conversations and coping with loud surroundings can also become increasingly problematic, which might mean they find it harder to maintain their pastimes or group activities.

Nevertheless, it is typical to sometimes feel uninterested in family or social commitments as we get older, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Vision problems

Some people living with dementia can encounter alterations in their eyesight and how they perceive the world surrounding them. This can trigger a variety of difficulties affecting reading, driving, assessing distance and even determining what colour objects are.

This can manifest in miscalculating steps or kerbs that would normally not pose a problem. However, the specialists point out that numerous vision alterations can also be connected to typical age-related conditions like cataracts.

There are over 100 distinct forms of dementia and each can impact people differently. The NHS highlights that the most frequent early signs that emerge before a diagnosis include memory loss and trouble concentrating.

People may also find it progressively difficult to complete familiar everyday tasks, locate the correct word they wish to use, undergo mood shifts and lose track of days, times or locations they are in.