When is it time to intervene?

Early diagnosis of dementia is crucial to preventing a crisis and for planning treatment and care. It is difficult to tell if cognition changes are simply age related changes (normal aging) or dementia (not normal aging).

Therefore, knowing when to seek in-home care or place a loved one in a senior living home is very difficult to judge. This is especially true for individuals without a serious medical condition outside of their cognitive changes.

What is the difference between simple forgetfulness and a serious memory loss?

Here are some warning signs of memory loss that may signal the need for assistance care. They were gathered from a variety of sources:

Does he/she repeat questions more frequently?YesNo
Does he/she exhibit poor grooming and personal hygieneYesNo
Does he/she forget to take medications or take them incorrectly?YesNo
Has there been a change in eating habits or loss of appetite?YesNo
Is outdated food in the refrigerator or little nutritious food?YesNo
 Has driving been impaired? Frequent accidents?YesNo
Is he/she increasingly forgetful?YesNo
 Is he/she moody or depressed?YesNo
Has there been a loss of interest in socializing?YesNo
 Is he/she less interested in former activities?YesNo
 Is he/she unsteady on her feet or does she fall frequently?YesNo
Does he/she have difficulty concentrating?YesNo
Does he/she exhibit poor judgment?YesNo
 Is he/she incontinent?YesNo
Is there trouble handling finances? Are there unpaid bills?YesNo
Does he/she spend long periods of time doing nothing?YesNo
Have others noticed personality changes?YesNo
 Is there unopened mail lying around?YesNo
Is there poor housekeeping or unsafe conditions?YesNo
Does he/she have trouble making decisions?YesNo
 Does he/she get lost?YesNo
 Does he/she have trouble finding the right words?YesNo
Does he/she wear the same clothes over and over again?YesNo

This is also available here has a printable worksheet to fill out and bring to your next appointment with your physician.

See your physician for further evaluation if you have answered “yes” to a majority of these questions. Then call us to learn more about our home and how we can serve your loved one on his or her dementia journey.

Parks’ Place Memory Care is a privately owned assisted living home, specialized and specifically designed for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.  Our home is for people of any stage of dementia so they are able to age-in-place in their home.  For tours, general information, or admission inquiry, please contact Kaitlin Kelly at 612-358-3725.