Ageing and dementia are firmly related, but there is a big difference between standard forgetfulness and senility or senile dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the commonest kind of senile dementia. If you're concerned that someone in your own family might be afflicted with more than occasional forgetfulness, look out for these symptoms:
Look into the family history, if there is a background of senile dementia or Alzheimer’s there might be an inherited disposition.
Look for signals of memory disfunction and language difficulties. If the individual appears to be losing words, forgetting the names of common objects or the best way to do straightforward mathematics, you could have something to worry about.
Watch out for loss of attention span and puzzlement. Check whether the individual is able to concentrate on a standard conversation or if he gets all mixed up when trying to perform basic jobs.
Cross out undiagnosed vision or deafness, as these may obstruct a person’s capability to interact efficiently and can make someone seem or feel more confused that he/she really is.
Keep an eye out for inappropriate behaviour and restricted judgment, if the individual starts acting inappropriately or seriously out of character these could be warning indicators of senile dementia.
Watch out for mood changes, emotional agitation or irritation. Folks in the initial stages of senile dementia are frequently conscious of the fact that something is happening to them; this is both scary and depressing.
Look out for physical coordination issues and physical confusion. Folks afflicted by senile dementia regularly forget ways to do easy jobs that've been a part of their daily running order for many years.
Look at how the person walk. Changes in gait are commonly signs of senile dementia, however they can be accredited to other neurological conditions like Parkinson’s illness.
Jeremy J. Ross is a recognized researcher in ageing science and he is doing studies on healthy ageing programs. To discover more about aging research visit http://www.AmericanAgingResearch.org
