November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

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November is Alzheimer’s awareness Month and National Diabetes Awareness Month. Our first two blogs in November will deal with Alzheimer’s and the last two blogs will deal with Diabetes.

alzheimers awareness month

Did you know Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of death in elders that is NOT preventable? When you or a loved one receives a potential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, it can be frightening. The most recent Alzheimer’s seminar I attended, stated that a cure is expected by 2024.

It’s important to educate yourself on the disease and there are hundreds of websites devoted to Alzheimer’s information. They say, if you are worried something is wrong with a loved one, there usually is. To follow, are 10 symptoms of Dementia and Early Stage Alzheimer’s to help you assess a family member’s behaviors.

Symptoms of Dementia and Early Stage Alzheimer’s

  1. Diminished short-term memory
  2. Misplacing belongings in odd places; losing valuable belongings, like wallet or purse
  3. Difficulty finding the right word: “Tip of the tongue” syndrome
  4. Person seems “not himself” and shows uncharacteristic behaviors
  5. Lapses in judgment
  6. Difficulty with mental arithmetic and handling money
  7. Disorientation in unfamiliar places or situations
  8. May become apathetic or withdrawn, avoiding social situations
  9. More difficulty with routine tasks at work or at home, or may take longer to complete tasks
  10. Irritation or anger in response to increasing memory lapses

The First Sign of Alzheimer’s Short Term Memory Loss

Specific Examples of the Symptoms and Signs of Alzheimer’s

  1. Asks the same question repeatedly within the same conversation
  2. Puts car keys away in refrigerator
  3. Unable to recall word for “car” and then says in frustration, “The thing you drive to work in.”
  4. A normally shy person becomes uncharacteristically outgoing or talkative at a family gathering
  5. Agrees to buy services or products he/she doesn’t need from telephone sales person
  6. Finds it difficult to balance checkbook or figure out correct amount of money to pay for an item while shopping
  7. Forgets to eat, skips meals, or eats the same food every meal

Source: http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2010/05/ten-symptoms-of-early-stage-alzheimers.html
Source: John Hopkins, Memory, Health Alert