Although there are a few common symptoms of dementia, such as memory loss; the specific symptoms the person with dementia experiences will depend on the part of the brain that was damaged and the type of disease that has caused the dementia.
As each person is unique, their experience of dementia, especially at early stages, will be different from other peoples’.
However some of the cognitive symptoms (linked with thinking or memory) are quite common for someone who lives with dementia. They may have trouble with the following:
Day-to-day memory – such as difficulty recalling recent events, for example what they had for breakfast
Concentrating, planning or organising – that may include difficulty making decisions, solving problems or carrying out a sequence of tasks (for example cooking a meal or making a cup of tea),
Language – such as difficulty following a conversation or finding the right word for something
Visuospatial skills – this may include problems with judging distances (such as on stairs) and seeing objects, such as patterns on a carpet, in three dimensions
Orientation – such as getting confused about where they are, if for example they have left the house, or losing track of the time.
A person with dementia will often experience changes in their mood. They may become frustrated or irritable, easily upset or anxious, or show withdrawal symptoms. Some types of dementia may bring hallucinations (seeing things that are not really there) or delusions (believing in things which are not real).
As dementia is progressive, the symptoms will get worse with time. How quickly dementia progresses will vary from person to person. The person might develop certain behaviours which may seem unusual or out of character such as pacing or agitation. These changes in behaviour may cause distress to family or friends.
In the later stages of dementia, a person may develop physical symptoms such as muscle weakness, weight loss, changes in sleep pattern or appetite.
For more information or if you wish to discuss care for your loved one please email care@greensleeves.org.uk