What are the top ten signs of Alzheimer’s?

It is critical for people with dementia and their families to receive information, care, and support as early as possible. To help family members and healthcare professionals recognize warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Association developed a checklist of common symptoms:

• Memory loss
  • One of the most common early signs of dementia is forgetting recently learned information. While it’s normal to forget appointments, names, or telephone numbers, those with dementia will forget such things more often and not remember them later.

• Daily tasks are a challenge
  • People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes they may have trouble driving to a familiar location, organizing a grocery list, or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

• Trouble planning and problem-solving
  • Some people living with dementia may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things.

• Times and places are confusing
  • It’s normal to sometimes forget the day of the week or where you’re going. People living with Alzheimer’s can become lost on their own streets, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to return home.

• Poor or decreased judgment
  • Individuals may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. Individuals with dementia often show poor judgment about money, giving away large sums to telemarketers or paying for home repairs or products they don’t need.

• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
  • Visual information can be difficult for a person with dementia. It can be hard to read distances or work out the differences between colors. Someone who usually drives, or cycles may start to find these activities challenging. They might get lost traveling to familiar locations.

• Problems with speaking or writing
  • People living with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation, have no idea how to continue, or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, naming a familiar object, or using the wrong name.

• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
  • Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or key. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. He or she may accuse others of stealing, especially as the disease progresses.

• Changes in mood or personality
  • Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease can show rapid mood swings–from calm to tears to anger–for no distinct reason.

• Withdrawal from work or social activities
  • A person living with Alzheimer’s disease may experience changes in the ability to hold or follow a conversation. As a result, he or she may withdraw from hobbies, social activities, or other engagements.