If your elderly loved one develops or already has dementia, there are many things that will happen. While dementia doesn’t affect everyone in the same way at the same time, there are some things that you can expect from this condition. Knowing more about dementia can help you to get your loved one the care they need.
Memory Loss
One of the most common things that occur with dementia is memory loss. Everyone who has dementia will experience memory loss. The severity of the memory loss will vary. However, it generally starts out with what looks like age-related memory loss. This means that your loved one might forget where they put their keys or glasses. However, with time, they might forget things all the time.
Communication
With dementia, your elderly loved one might have communication issues. They might not be able to understand what you or their home care providers are saying to them. They might not be able to write or read as well as they used to. As time goes on, your elderly loved one might not be able to come up with the right words to say. You might have to rely on their body language to figure out what they are trying to express.
Attention
Dementia will cause problems with your elderly loved one’s attention, as well. Your loved one might not be able to stay engaged with you when you are talking to them. They might not be able to focus on a task that they have always been able to do.
Motor Skills
Coordination is affected when someone has dementia. You might notice that your elderly loved one doesn’t walk as fast as they used to. They might not be able to tie their own shoes or cut up their own food. When this happens, you might need to hire home care providers to help your loved one with these things.
Judgment
Your elderly loved one’s judgment will become impaired if they have dementia. They might spend money on things they shouldn’t be. Your loved one might not pay their bills or they might make a decision that is completely “out there” because their judgment is impaired.
Personality
You might also find that your elderly loved one’s personality is completely changed. They might be irritable all the time. If something doesn’t go there way, they might become depressed, anxious, or scared.
If your elderly loved one does get dementia, this doesn’t mean there isn’t anything that can be done for them. While there is no cure for dementia, there are still services and treatments that can be offered to help with some stages of this disease.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-dementia-symptoms-types-and-diagnosis
If you or an aging loved one is considering homecare in Park City, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Billings today at 406-839-2390.
