Here are 10 early indicators of dementia. Recognizing these signs is crucial, as early detection allows for better management, planning, and access to treatments that may slow progression.
Note: Occasional memory lapses or bad days are normal for everyone. The difference with dementia is that these symptoms are persistent, progressive, and severe enough to interfere with daily life.
1. Memory Loss That Disrupts Daily Life
This is often the most recognized early sign, but it goes beyond forgetting where you put the car keys.
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What it looks like: Forgetting recently learned information, asking the same question repeatedly, forgetting important dates or events, and increasingly needing to rely on memory aids (like notes or phone reminders) or family members for things they used to handle themselves.
2. Difficulty Planning or Solving Problems
Tasks that used to require sequential steps or basic math can become frustratingly difficult.
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What it looks like: Trouble following a familiar recipe, difficulty keeping track of monthly bills, taking much longer to do things than they used to, or struggling to concentrate on detailed tasks.
3. Challenges Completing Familiar Tasks
Everyday routines that were once second nature become confusing.
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What it looks like: Getting lost while driving to a familiar location (like the grocery store), struggling to remember the rules of a favorite game, or forgetting how to operate a familiar appliance, like a microwave or the TV remote.
4. Confusion with Time or Place
Losing track of the passage of time is a distinct symptom.
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What it looks like: Losing track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.
5. Trouble Understanding Visual Images and Spatial Relationships
Vision problems can be an early sign of certain types of dementia (like Lewy body or Alzheimer’s), not just an issue with the eyes themselves.
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What it looks like: Difficulty reading, judging distance, determining color or contrast, or not recognizing their own reflection in a mirror. This may cause issues with driving.
6. New Problems with Words (Speaking or Writing)
Having an occasional “tip-of-the-tongue” moment is normal, but people with dementia often struggle to join a conversation.
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What it looks like: Stopping in the middle of a conversation with no idea how to continue, repeating themselves, struggling to find the right word, or calling common items by the wrong name (e.g., calling a “watch” a “hand-clock”).
7. Misplacing Things and Losing the Ability to Retrace Steps
While everyone misplaces their wallet or phone occasionally, a person with dementia may put things in very unusual places.
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What it looks like: Putting the iron in the freezer or the car keys in the medicine cabinet. Because they cannot retrace their steps to find the item, they may become suspicious and accuse others of stealing.
8. Decreased or Poor Judgment
Changes in decision-making or behavior can be a hallmark of cognitive decline.
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What it looks like: Giving large amounts of money to telemarketers, paying less attention to personal grooming and hygiene, or dressing inappropriately for the weather (e.g., wearing a heavy coat on a hot summer day).
9. Withdrawal from Work or Social Activities
Because it is becoming harder to keep up with conversations, hobbies, or sports, a person may begin to pull away.
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What it looks like: Removing themselves from social engagements, giving up on hobbies or projects they used to love, or struggling to follow their favorite sports team. They may seem apathetic or depressed.
10. Changes in Mood and Personality
Dementia can physically alter the brain, leading to distinct changes in temperament.
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What it looks like: Becoming confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious. They may become easily upset at home, with friends, or when out of their comfort zone. They may also become rigid in their routines and angry when that routine is disrupted.
What to Do If You Notice These Signs
If you recognize several of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, it is important not to panic. Some of these symptoms can be caused by highly treatable conditions, such as vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues, medication side effects, or depression.
Schedule an appointment with a doctor for a thorough medical evaluation. Early diagnosis opens the door to clinical trials, medications that can temporarily improve symptoms, and allows families to plan for the future together.