How to Recognize Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease of the brain that usually begins in late middle age or old age. Many people fear a loved one may be developing Alzheimer’s disease when in fact their symptoms are simply a part of normal aging, so learning the warning signs of Alzheimer’s will clarify when there is a need to seek medical attention.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Watch for memory problems. People with Alzheimer’s disease forget recent events once in a while, just like the rest of us do, but eventually their long term memory gets progressively worse. It’s normal to be a little more forgetful as you get older, especially with recent events such as the name of someone you just met or where you put your car keys, but Alzheimer’s is distinguished by its progressive memory loss.
2. Note issues with functionality. Simple daily chores become increasingly difficult. Scrambling eggs, getting dressed or putting away the groceries become daunting tasks. The person may seem confused, upset, afraid and frustrated by things they have done all of their lives. The inability to remember how to do these things worsens with time.
3. Listen for problems with speech. Although forgetting what something is called or the name of a movie is common, Alzheimer’s patients progressively have trouble with common words. They may be trying to tell you they want a comb but they may call it "that thing you use for your hair."
4. Monitor their ability to get around. People with Alzheimer’s disease become disoriented in places that they know well, like the corner market, the doctor’s office or their own street. They may not only forget where they are, but how they got there and how to get home again.
5. Pay attention to problems with abstract thinking. They may suddenly lose their ability to deal with balancing the checkbook. They may forget the whole concept of what numbers are and how to use them.
6. Note how they keep track of possessions. Persons with Alzheimer’s disease often lose and misplace things. It is normal to forget where you’ve put things now and again and most people forget more of these things as they get older, but Alzheimer's causes behavior that is much more out of the norm. Their shoes may end up in the freezer or their keys may get stashed in the medicine cabinet.
7. Beware of sudden inappropriate choices. Alzheimer’s patients develop a tendency to make irrational judgment calls. They may order 20 blue jackets from a TV shopping channel or come out dressed for a blizzard to go to a picnic. Their judgment will grow more outlandish with time.
8. Look for emotional changes. Mood changes happen to us all, but Alzheimer’s mood swings are rapid changes not justified by events. Someone suffering from Alzheimer's may start to cry when everyone else is laughing or get enraged when someone pays them a compliment.
9. Evaluate any overall personality changes. Alzheimer’s may cause a complete personality change: A normally loving person may become angry and suspicious or a really independent person may grow fearful and timid. Everyone's personality changes a bit as they grow older, but Alzheimer's brings on a radical change without causation.
10. Look for a loss of energy and initiative. Sitting for long periods of time staring at the television, sleeping half the day after sleeping at night or showing no interest in activities he or she always enjoyed is a typical symptom of Alzheimer’s.

Tips & Warnings

• If you live with or otherwise look after an elderly person, keep notes on any changes in behavior or mental functioning. It will be a great help to their physician to have this monitored.
• Don't jump the gun. Many people have Alzheimer's Disease for years now and maintain decent functioning with the advent of new treatment options.
• Other conditions can mimic some of these symptoms. Loss of energy and initiative can be present in depression, for example. It’s the presence of these symptoms together with the increases in instances and severity that make them indicative of Alzheimer’s disease.
• If you suspect that a loved one has Alzheimer’s, see a physician immediately to either put your mind at ease or, at the very least, to get into a treatment program as soon as possible.