Does my dad have dementia?

[Emsjane2020]

Hi,
My dad is only 62. He has a strong family history of dementia, his mom and his first sister. He has been showing some signs of forgetfulness over the past few years but recently has gotten a lot worse. He still works full time is a very active guy. Within the last year he has started to become very moody and lashes out on my mom a lot for silly things. He also seems to get paranoid. This is usually directed towards my mom but recently we are seeing it more towards us. He has days when he is in a great mood and then suddenly he will become quiet and more reserved and mean. He also has been misplacing things a lot. We seem to notice about everyday he can’t find his keys, wallet or glasses. He then get irritated when my mom finds it. He is stil very independent so he could be hiding a lot more Thag we don’t notice.
we have also noticed him to be bringing more throughout the day which is new for him. He never used to drink much. We notice he will drink before social events or even just during the day. Does this sound like dementia?

 

[canary]

Hello @Emsjane2020 and welcome to DTP.
Symptoms of dementia at the beginning are often very vague and could be a lot of things as well as dementia. However, the family history is a big red flag. He may, or may not have dementia, but it should certainly be checked out - not least because if it isnt dementia and is something else it might be treatable.

Could either you or your mum write a letter to the GP explaining your concerns (dont forget to include the family history) so that it goes on your dads file? I would also staat keeping a journal of all the odd/concerning things that your dad does.

Try and get your dad to go to the GP to rule out other causes. I wouldnt mention dementia to him at the moment. You might suggest that he has a vitamin deficiency or a thyroid underaction (both can genuinely cause "brain fog" and symptoms similar to dementia) which the GP can check him for and are things that the GP would want to rule out.

 

[Emsjane2020]

Hello @Emsjane2020 and welcome to DTP.
Symptoms of dementia at the beginning are often very vague and could be a lot of things as well as dementia. However, the family history is a big red flag. He may, or may not have dementia, but it should certainly be checked out - not least because if it isnt dementia and is something else it might be treatable.

Could either you or your mum write a letter to the GP explaining your concerns (dont forget to include the family history) so that it goes on your dads file? I would also staat keeping a journal of all the odd/concerning things that your dad does.

Try and get your dad to go to the GP to rule out other causes. I wouldnt mention dementia to him at the moment. You might suggest that he has a vitamin deficiency or a thyroid underaction (both can genuinely cause "brain fog" and symptoms similar to dementia) which the GP can check him for and are things that the GP would want to rule

 

[karaokePete]

Hello @Emsjane2020 and welcome to the forum from me too. You have come to the right place for information and support.

As has been said, the best thing to do in this situation is have a chat with your GP, for the reasons stated.

Here is a link to a Society Fact sheet about the diagnosis issue. Just click the second line to read or print the document

Assessment and diagnosis (426)
PDF printable version

As to the drinking, that could be that your dad is aware that something is wrong and is using a drink to medicate anxiety. My wife did that when she was first diagnosed and it's a reaction that seems to be seen quite often.