Knowing when to get help for a loved one can be difficult, especially if you think that they may be dealing with Alzheimer’s. While it may not always feel easy to know what to do, the reality is that there are clear signs that your loved on may benefit from moving to an Alzheimer’s Assisted Living Facility rather than living on their own. If you aren’t sure what to look out for, here are some key signs that your loved one may have Alzheimer’s.
Forgetfulness
One of the first and most common symptoms that you will see is forgetfulness. While it is normal for nearly everyone, no matter what their age is to be forgetful from time to time, when forgetfulness seems to increase or happen consistently in an older adult, it could be a sign of Alzheimer’s. You should also be looking for signs of forgetfulness escalating. Even though it may not be so strange to forget where you put your keys, if you are noticing them beginning to forget more important things like names of close family members or the fact that they have a pet, it could be cause for concern.
Time Traveling
Another common occurrence with Alzheimer’s is time traveling. Someone with this issue might begin forgetting what year it is, and often how old they are. They may begin to start telling stories about things that occurred a long time ago, or mention friends or relatives that have passed away as if they are still alive. They may even begin calling you the names of people that they used to know, or start talking about news events that happened in the past. These episodes of time traveling may be brief, or they could be more persistent, and will often leave the person with Alzheimer’s feeling disoriented.
Lack of Confidence Doing Standard Tasks
Something else that happens frequently when someone has Alzheimer’s is that they begin to lose confidence in their ability to do many normal tasks. You may notice that they don’t like to drive anymore, or seem to feel confused when cooking or doing other basic tasks that they used to feel comfortable with, or even enjoy. This is a sign that they are forgetting how to complete these tasks. Not only can this be frustrating for them because they can no longer easily do something that they used to do, but they will likely not understand why they are having trouble with the task suddenly either, which often makes feelings of confusion and frustration worse.
The Bottom Line
Alzheimer’s can be a difficult issue to deal with, both for those suffering with it, and their loved ones who are trying to help them. Alzheimer’s can sometimes progress slowly, or it can start presenting symptoms rapidly and seemingly out of nowhere. To further complicate things, some symptoms of Alzheimer’s can appear to be the same as those that occur naturally with the aging process. However, by keeping your eye out for some specific symptoms like increased forgetfulness, time-traveling, and lack of confidence doing tasks, it can be possible to spot the start of Alzheimer’s and get your loved one the assistance they need sooner.
