How to tell if your parents have dementia

Next Question: How do you know your parents are slipping/going backwards mentally and physically?

1.       Hygiene becomes poor. – not washing, combing , brushing teeth, incontinence, stains on clothes, food stains on chest, smell, not shaving.

2.       Dry, itchy, flakey skin = dehydration.  Even if you force fluids at this point in time he or she may still need to go to the hospital for IV hydration.

3.       Accumulation of clutter in the house. Not allowing you to get rid of the clutter. Fearful of throwing out important papers…The papers should be filed already if they are really important!

4.     . Broken items – dropped picture frames etc.

5.       Things tied in bags – packing to go away when no trip is planned.

6.       Forgetting/refusing to take meds.

7.     Forgetting to eat – food spoiling or food not touched in fridge.

8.      Inappropriate things found in fridge – socks, rubber duck etc

9.     Change in mental status - agitation? Difficulty speaking? Stroke?

10. House dirty – dishes or wash not done.

11  Assess driving  skills– speak with the loved one’s MD re this. Person who has dementia still insists on driving when they really are a hazard on the road...

12 Short term memory loss

13  Like shaped items grouped together

14 Arriving late to places – my parents arrived late to my sister-in-laws wedding reception and walked in as they announced the bride and groom! Everyone had a good laugh – but embarrassing….

15 Circle of friends and interests is smaller. They become reclusive.

16  Don’t answer doorbells or phone.

17  Forgetting day of week and time. I purchased a digital desk clock that tells not only the time of day, AM or PM, date, day of week, year and room temperature at Wal-Mart for $14. This is the best buy for someone with dementia. It takes 1 AA battery.  Another tip - Make sure all the clocks in the house are set for the same time. Elderly get confused when the days are shorter. When it is dark at 5 o’clock is it AM or PM? Most seniors with an irregular sleep schedule may wake up from a nap and think it is 5 AM when it is 5 PM.  Keeping a regular schedule throughout the day is best. Reorienting them to time of day by pointing out things like lunch-time traffic, church bells ringing etc helps. Keeping them mentally and physically active is good also.

18  Hoarding of items – collecting stacking keeping items that are of no value.

19 Blaming others for your word loss or lack of assistance from someone else in naming objects.