Dementia

Spotting Early Signs of In Your Loved Ones DEMENTIA

Gleaneagles Kuala Lumpur

Dementia is an overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking skills that affect a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Memory loss is an example of a condition characterized by dementia. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia but there are other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia. Approximately 6% of the population 65 years of age and older, suffer from dementia. 

Below are a few early signs of dementia, which can be easily identified in our loved ones

Can’t find the right words A person with dementia may also face a challenge in explaining themselves or finding the right words during conversations.	Mood changes A change in mood is also commonly seen in people with dementia. Most often, they develop mild depression along with a noticeable shift in personality due to impaired judgment.
Losing interests Apathy or lack of interests and enthusiasm commonly occurs in early dementia. A person with this symptom could lose interest in hobbies or activities and may seem emotionally flat	Struggles with memory. The changes in memory are subtle and  usually involves short-term memory. You may notice your parent having problems remembering where they left an item, forgetting what they had for breakfast or unable to recall why they entered a particular room.

Difficulty in completing tasks.

A subtle shift in the ability to complete normal tasks may indicate that someone has early dementia. This usually starts with difficulty doing more complex tasks and they may struggle to learn how to do new things or follow new routines.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if your loved one has memory problems or other dementia symptoms as described above. Some treatable medical conditions can cause dementia symptoms, so it's important to determine the underlying cause.

Our team of consultant psychiatrists and neurologists: