Dementia is a term that describes what happens when the nerve cells that make up the brain can cause issues that impact their ability to remember, think, and reason. It is a disorder that gets worse as time goes on which makes it important to start treating it as early as possible. It’s important to know some of the early symptoms of dementia so that you can start taking action.

There are many who question the differences between dementia vs. Alzheimer’s disease. The fact is, there are many different types of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is just one of them. Some of the other types of dementia are frontotemporal and Lewy body dementia, vascular disorders, and mixed dementia. Mixed dementia is a combination of at least two different types of dementia at the same time. The earliest signs of dementia include:

1. Problems performing typical tasks

One of the early signs of dementia is that they may find that they are having a hard time completing tasks that are normal parts of their lives. Some of these tasks could include forgetting how to get to familiar places, using a computer or television, or preparing their favorite foods. This symptom is one that could take place at home and at work.

2. Poor judgement and decision making  

When someone has dementia, they may forget about societal norms and things like the value of money or what they actually need to survive. This could lead to them being taken advantage of and paying far too much for things that they may or may not need. Some of the problems that this could lead to are the development of hoarding habits as they do not know what is appropriate to keep as well as issues with personal hygiene and appearance in general.

3. Becoming less social

Many people who have dementia may find that they are not interested in socializing with people anymore. This could include both their personal and professional lives. While there are times when people just don’t feel like socializing for a period of time, it becomes a problem when this happens over an extended duration. In addition to no longer going out, they may also just not talk to others or pay attention to what others are saying while they are supposed to be socializing.

4. Lose personal items easily

When someone has dementia, it can be easy for them to displace the things that they use during their day. This can include things like their keys, wallet, medicine, or other important objects. While not being able to find the things that you need can be frustrating enough, it can also cause issues with unfounded accusations of theft.

5. Problems writing and speaking

If someone has dementia, they may find it hard to hold conversations with others. It becomes easy to forget what they and others are saying which can make it difficult to speak to others. In addition to problems with speaking, many people with dementia also find that they have issues when it comes to punctuation, grammar, and spelling. For others, they may also find that their handwriting worsens over time.