What Does Memory Loss Look Like for Those with Alzheimer’s Disease? 

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that has no cure currently. People diagnosed with the disease will slowly have a reduction in the ability to make logical decisions, remember key parts of their lives, and lose social skills due to the disease’s effect on the brain. Eventually, the brain loses too much functionality to keep the person alive without assistance from others.

Before Alzheimer’s disease progresses to its serious stages, where your loved one will need continuous Alzheimer’s care, your loved one could be struggling with the early symptoms in her day-to-day life. Because symptoms come on gradually, it is often difficult to realize the disease has arrived until after a serious consequence occurs.

 

Memory Lapses That May Indicate Alzheimer’s Disease

While everyone forgets some things sometimes, the main distinction with Alzheimer’s disease is that memory lapses will increase and interrupt a person’s ability to either complete a task or perform it safely.

By learning these key memory lapses, you can help your loved one know if she should seek a diagnosis and then work toward finding the help needed to improve her ability to stay independent for as long as possible.

• Getting Lost. One early symptom of memory loss for those with Alzheimer’s is the inability to remember how to find their way out in the world. A routine and simple drive to the local market may become panic-ridden when your loved one can’t remember how to get back home. Or she might find herself taking wrong turns while walking around the neighborhood and discover herself someplace that she doesn’t recognize.
• Misplacing items in strange places. People forget where they put their keys all the time, but when your loved one starts finding her keys in the freezer or the dog bowl, it might be more than just random memory lapses.
• Repeating conversations and questions. If your loved one doesn’t remember that you just talked about what you’re doing for Timmy’s birthday earlier today, it might not be that she wasn’t listening. It could be the disease has made her forget.
• Forgetting the names of people and objects. While not remembering the name of the neighbor who lives four houses down is normal, forgetting her pet’s name or favorite grandchild’s name is not normal.

 

In-Home Alzheimer’s Care Can Help with Memory Struggles

Many early memory lapses can be managed by having someone else step in and help manage those details that seem to be slipping your loved one’s mind. Having an in-home Alzheimer’s care provider visit and help with daily tasks can keep your loved one independent longer.

 

Tasks an Alzheimer’s Care provider can help with.

• Daily personal care. An Alzheimer’s care provider can help ensure your loved one is still brushing her teeth, combing her hair, and getting appropriately dressed for the day.
• Making it to appointments. If your loved one has been forgetting important appointments, an Alzheimer’s care provider can help with reminders of what needs to be done each day and how your loved one will go about it.
• Household chores. From taking out the garbage to washing the dishes, you can let an Alzheimer’s care provider step in and help with daily chores that need to get done.

 

These are just a few of the ways an Alzheimer’s care provider can help your loved one manage the memory loss that comes with Alzheimer’s disease.

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Care in Falls Church, VA, please contact the caring staff at Butters Home Health Care today. (703) 371-2113