Alzheimer’s, which is common among people above 60, can diminish the quality of life of a person like anything. One of the most prevalent forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s accounts for up to 80% of all dementia cases. A fatal brain disorder, Alzheimer’s affects nearly 5.5 million people in the US who are either aged 65 or above. Considering that it’s an irreversible brain disease, anyone struggling with it deserves the best care.
If your aging parent is also struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, make sure that you take care of them round the clock. You can’t afford to leave them alone at home when no one is there to look after them. Since it damages a patent’s short-term memory apart from affecting their thinking and reasoning skills, they need expert care.
If you are seeing a tremendous behavioral change in your aging parent but are unsure whether they are struggling with Alzheimer’s or not, observe the signs and symptoms.
Here are the signs and symptoms that can help you identify that your aging parent is struggling with Alzheimer’s.
A Sharp Decline in Short-Term-Memory
One of the most widespread signs of Alzheimer’s disease is a gradual decline in short-term-memory. As it destroys a person’s memory with time, they consequently start facing a variety of other problems. So if your aging parent is struggling with short-term memory loss, make sure you offer them every possible help to deal with it.
A Gradual Drop in Thinking Skills
Apart from a sharp decline in memory, if your aging parent is also experiencing a gradual drop in thinking skills, you should take them to a doctor. Chances are they might be struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. And if your doctor confirms that your aging loved one is struggling with it, then you should help them get the best treatment. In addition to that, you should also book Alzheimer’s and dementia specialists for your aging parent from a reputed in-home care agency.
Once your loved one’s thinking skills start damaging, they face endless problems that result from it. Living an independent life becomes a big challenge for them.
A Continuous Decline in Reasoning Skills
Having excellent reasoning skills is utterly essential for any human being to live a comfortable, happy, and meaningful life. Without possessing them, one can neither react appropriately to a situation nor come up with practical plans. In short, poor reasoning skills snatch the true potential of a person. A gradual decline in reasoning skills also affects a person’s decision-making skills, which then affects their life in several ways.
Problem Communicating With Others
Another significant sign that patients struggling with Alzheimer’s disease face is difficulty communicating their thoughts with others. They experience this problem because they fail to get the right word to convey their message. And that could be due to their declining memory. A person’s inability to communicate their thoughts then creates further problems for them.
Difficulty Attending Social Gatherings
Who doesn’t want to be a part of a lovely social gathering? Well, this is an utterly tricky question, so it has more than one answer. For example, if you are a young lad, and you love meeting new people, you will surely like attending it. However, if you talk about someone who is in their 70s and is struggling with Alzheimer’s, then the answer would be the opposite. Yes, you got that correct, they would not like to be a part of it.
Getting Stressed-Out & Frustrated
Whether you talk about experiencing memory problems or one’s inability to communicate their thoughts and feelings with others, all of that increases stress and frustration. So if your aging loved one is facing the above signs and symptoms, they are bound to feel stressed out and frustrated.
Trouble Falling Asleep
Because of their high stress and anxiety levels, people struggling with Alzheimer’s disease often find it difficult to fall asleep. And staying up late at night then affects their health further. From increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes to heart disease and high blood pressure, lack of sleep affects a person in several ways.
Unpredictable Behavior
Another most significant sign of Alzheimer’s disease is unpredictable behavior. If your aging loved one takes no time to switch from a happy mood to a sad one, they are most apparently struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s patients experience mood swings frequently, which eventually make their life quite challenging. So if you see your loved one happy at one moment and angry at the next, please don’t behave rudely with them. Instead, you should try to simplify their life to stabilize their mood.
Lastly, Alzheimer’s is a progressive disorder, which means the mental health of your loved one will continue to deteriorate with time. Therefore, you should book a compassionate and skilled Alzheimer’s specialist for them, who can offer them the care they need.
