Dementia can affect language.
A person may:
Struggle to find common words
Lose track of a conversation
Repeat themselves
Call familiar objects by the wrong name
Stop in the middle of a sentence and not know how to continue
Occasional word-finding difficulty is common with age, but frequent communication problems deserve attention.
6. Misplacing Things and Being Unable to Retrace Steps
Everyone misplaces keys or glasses sometimes.
A person with dementia may place objects in unusual locations, such as:
Keys in the refrigerator
A wallet in a kitchen cabinet
A phone in a laundry basket
They may then be unable to retrace their steps to find the item.
Some people may also accuse others of stealing things they actually misplaced.
7. Poor Judgment or Unusual Decisions
Changes in judgment can be an early warning sign.
Examples may include:
Giving large amounts of money to strangers
Falling for scams more easily
Neglecting personal hygiene
Wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather
Making unsafe financial decisions
This is especially concerning when the behavior is clearly different from the person’s usual personality.
8. Withdrawal From Work or Social Activities
A person may begin avoiding activities they once enjoyed.
They may stop:
Meeting friends
Attending clubs
Participating in hobbies
Going to family gatherings
Following favorite sports or activities
Sometimes withdrawal happens because the person finds conversations or complex activities more difficult.
Social withdrawal can also be caused by depression, anxiety, hearing loss, or other conditions, so it should not automatically be assumed to be dementia.
9. Changes in Mood or Personality
Continued on next page:
