You can’t quite put your finger on it, and yet you’ve begun to notice some differences in Mom’s conduct recently. She is more forgetful than before. She keeps misplacing her car keys. Often, she repeats herself. Is it Alzheimer’s disease?
Currently, over 6.5 million people age 65 and older are battling dementia. Because of this, it’s crucial to learn about the personality changes that could point to dementia and know how to proceed should those changes be detected in a friend or family member. Medical professionals have found that one helpful tool in evaluating an individual for dementia is interviewing family members about eight key aspects of functionality. If you’re having concerns about somebody you love, a great place to start is to ask yourself the following:
While examining each of these areas, make note of the following as well:
With all of this information in hand, set up an appointment with the person’s primary care physician to talk about your concerns. During the appointment, the physician will conduct an evaluation to see if dementia could be the cause and what the next steps should be.
At Compassionate Nursing Services, our specially trained and experienced home care team is available to help older loved ones in any stage of dementia to maximize quality of life. We will develop a personalized plan of care to outline the ways we can help a loved one best manage the difficulties being faced, and then review and update the plan on a regular basis as needs change. Contact us at 314-432-4312 for more information about how our home care services can provide the right amount of support.
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