Understanding Dementia and Spotting the Early Signs

Dementia is often associated with getting older, but it is not an inevitable part of ageing. Age is a risk factor, and dementia is increasingly common as people get older, with almost 1 million people in the UK living with the condition.

However, experiencing some changes in memory or thinking as you get older does not automatically mean that you have dementia. What matters is whether there is a persistent change that affects someone’s everyday life.

If you have noticed changes in yourself or someone you love, it can be frightening to think about dementia. However, it is worth talking to a GP rather than trying to work out the cause on your own. A diagnosis can help identify what is causing the changes and open the door to treatment, support and future planning.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is not a singular disease. It is an umbrella term for a range of symptoms related to declining brain function. These symptoms can affect memory, thinking, communication, behaviour, mood, and someone’s ability to manage everyday activities.

There are several different types of dementia that affect people in different ways.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, making up 60-70% of all dementia cases.

Memory problems are often an early symptom, particularly difficulty remembering recently learned information. A person may also have trouble planning, finding the right words, concentrating, or becoming confused about time and place.

Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia affects around 180,000 people in the UK. It develops when problems with the blood supply to the brain cause damage to brain cells, which can be caused by a stroke.

Its symptoms can vary depending on which areas of the brain have been affected. Someone may experience difficulties with planning, concentration, decision-making, or problem-solving. Symptoms can appear suddenly, particularly after a stroke.

Dementia With Lewy Bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies is caused by abnormal deposits of a protein called Lewy bodies in the brain.

Symptoms can include changes in attention and alertness, problems with movement and sleep, visual hallucinations and difficulties with perception. These symptoms often fluctuate, meaning they may appear much more alert or confused at different times.

Frontotemporal Dementia

Frontotemporal dementia is more uncommon and affects areas of the brain involved in behaviour, personality and language.

Early symptoms are therefore very different to Alzheimer’s disease. Someone may experience noticeable changes in personality or behaviour, or develop difficulties with language. Memory may not be the first or most obvious symptom.

Mixed Dementia

It is also possible for someone to have more than one type of dementia. This is known as mixed dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia is the most common combination, although other combinations are possible.

Photo by Centre For Ageing Better via Unsplash

Spotting the Early Signs

It can be difficult to differentiate between general aging and early-onset dementia. As we get older, our mobility and memory naturally decline, but this usually happens slowly and gradually. We encourage families to look out for persistent changes that decline quickly.

Mental health conditions, side effects from medication, sleep problems, infections, thyroid problems, stress, and some vitamin deficiencies can all cause similar symptoms to dementia. Some people also experience mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which causes changes in memory or thinking, although it does not always progress to dementia.

Some of the early signs families may notice include:

Memory Loss

Memory loss is the most common sign associated with dementia. This may include regularly forgetting recent conversations or events, asking the same question repeatedly, forgetting appointments, or needing increasingly frequent reminders.

The occasional lapse in memory is not necessarily a concern. It is more important to look for a pattern of change that is becoming noticeable and begins to interfere with everyday life.

Difficulty Concentrating or Making Decisions

Someone may find it increasingly difficult to concentrate on tasks they previously managed comfortably.

They may struggle to follow a recipe, organise their finances, or make decisions.

While this does often become slower with age, look out for quick changes over time.

Language and Communication Difficulties

A person may increasingly struggle to find the right word or follow a conversation. They might lose track of what they were saying, substitute one word for another, or find it difficult to understand increasingly complex conversations.

Communication difficulties can be particularly frustrating because the person may know what they want to say but be unable to express it easily.

Problems With Familiar Activities

Dementia can affect a person’s ability to carry out familiar tasks as memory, understanding, and cognitive function all decline.

Someone who has always loved cooking may suddenly find it difficult to follow a familiar recipe. They may struggle to manage daily tasks around the house or even their finances.

This is different from memory loss, such as occasionally forgetting where you put something.

Confusion About Time or Place

Someone may become unsure about the day, date, or where they are. They might get lost somewhere that was previously familiar, become confused about why they are in a particular place, or be unable to gauge how much time has passed. For some, they may experience visual hallucinations or difficulties judging what they are seeing.

This is usually quite a noticeable symptom that can be easily monitored. However, it can quickly reduce an individual’s safety when being independent, so it must be closely monitored.

Changes in Mood, Personality or Behaviour

Some people experience severe changes in their behaviour. They may become more anxious, withdrawn, irritable or behave in ways that are out of character.

Changes in personality or behaviour can be particularly prominent in frontotemporal dementia.

Issues with Mobility

Dementia can affect parts of the brain that control mobility, which can lead to a decline in balance and co-ordination. This can impact daily tasks, such as being able to wash and dress independently, as well as increasing the risk of falls and injury.

Motor symptoms often appear early for those with Lewy body dementia.

When Should You Speak to a GP?

You do not need to wait until memory problems become severe before asking for help. Consider speaking to a GP if you have noticed persistent changes in memory, thinking, communication, behaviour or the ability to manage familiar activities.

It can be useful to write down examples before the appointment. Rather than simply saying that someone’s memory is getting worse, note specific situations of what has actually happened. Specific examples can help a healthcare professional understand what has changed and how it is affecting everyday life.

Healthcare professionals will also consider whether another condition could be causing the symptoms. This is important because some causes of cognitive problems can be treated. Getting an assessment can therefore provide useful information even when the eventual diagnosis is not dementia.

Why Is an Early Diagnosis Helpful?

There is currently no cure for the diseases that cause dementia or medications that can stop or reverse dementia. However, there is plenty of support and treatments available to manage symptoms and therapies to improve quality of life.

There is new research into medicinal treatments for some people with early Alzheimer’s disease. For the first time, these drugs have been studied to slow memory loss and thinking decline in early Alzheimer’s disease. This treatment will not be suitable for everyone, so assessment by an appropriate specialist is important.

An early diagnosis can also give someone more time to understand what is happening and make decisions about their future. This might include discussing care preferences, financial arrangements, legal matters or who they would like to involve in future decisions.

While living with dementia or supporting someone with dementia is life-changing, receiving an accurate and early diagnosis can help everyone to understand changes in behaviour and find appropriate support.

Dementia Care At Mulberry Care Homes

At Mulberry, we understand that dementia affects every person differently. We place personalised care at the centre of our work to assist our residents with dementia in a way that truly benefits them.

Four of our homes across Kirklees (Castle Grange, Claremont House, Southfield Court and White Rose House) are specifically designed to meet the needs of those living with dementia.

We don’t believe in simply managing dementia, but helping our residents to live fulfilling lives regardless of how severely their symptoms have progressed. Our dementia care staff understand difficult behaviour such as sundowning, and they can respond calmly and patiently, de-escalating any situation.

To help our dementia residents, we use reminiscence therapy throughout our activities to fight against memory loss, encouraging nostalgic conversations and storytelling. We also value routines, as a structured day can make a huge difference in reducing anxiety for those living with memory loss.

We also understand how difficult it can be for the families of our dementia residents, and we’re here to support you as well. If someone eventually needs more support than can safely be provided at home, a care home may become one of the options worth considering.

If you are concerned about changes in yourself or someone you love, speaking to a GP is the best place to start. If you are considering care for someone living with dementia, our team will be happy to answer any questions, arrange a visit, or outline the support available.