Hi

[maxine.green]

Hi, my names Maxine and I think my dad may have dementia but won’t know until he sees the doctor. It would be great to know what were the first symptoms to look out for

 

[Chizz]

Hi, my names Maxine and I think my dad may have dementia but won’t know until he sees the doctor. It would be great to know what were the first symptoms to look out for

Hi @maxine.green
The early signs/stages are:
a) failing short term memory (more than just age related forgetfulness)
- where did I put that - things sometimes put in odd places, eg car keys in the fridge
- where are .. kept - not knowing what's in which cupboard even though they've been there for ever
- not recognising people close to him
- not remembering appointments
b) get confused / muddled in speech - getting the wrong word, or even making up words - my OH used say be "carefable" for "careful"
c) losing interest doing things he's always done (often because he knows he can't do them as he used to - eg my OH stopped wanting to play piano because she was less able than before, or not wanting to cut the grass because she'd forgotten how to start the electric lawn mower)
d) losing interest in reading - because couldn't remember where in book he/she got to or couldn't remember what previously happened in the story
e) losing interest in watching tv programmes - couldn't follow story line as speech and scenes and pictures move too fast for them to process quickly enough
f) not being able to join in conversations - can't process the words for the answers he/she wants to give and when they've worked that out the conversation has moved on to other topics
g) losing dexterity in holding things, eg a pen, plus lack of co-ordination to write neatly and gradually they'll stop writing altogether. My OH had to sign something, but she'd forgotten (i) what a signature is and (ii) couldn't then do it within the space required
h) losing spatial awareness - goes to pick something up but misses (as they see the thing too close or too far away) (we used to get a lot of spilt cups of tea, etc)
i) loss of balance lead to loss of confidence and my OH started walking round holding walls or furniture which was OK until she went to hold the edge of the door and it moved!
And everybody's starting points and speed of deterioration is different.

Make notes of the points about which you are worried. Then contact your dad's GP surgery to get them to make an appointment for him to go in, for example under the pretext of a "well man" check up or in case of infection (eg a UTI can cause confusion etc). Go with him to appointment to give correct answers when your dad doesn't - for example some people claim to Dr they can still do things that they haven't done for years (like yes I still drive when they haven't). The GP can then make their own assessment. (and referral to the memory clinic)

AND many people at the start are in denial and they don't believe anything is wrong with them If they recognise that something is wrong then as its not them it must be someone else's fault - such as yours!

There is a lot of info on the Alz Soc website to read too.

Welcome to the club you didn't want to join!
Best wishes

 

[Kevinl]

Expect the unexpected. That and hello and welcome. K

 

[SAP]

With my mum it was forgetting words for every day things and not being able to recognise them when I said them.

 

[Gosling]

Hello Maxine @maxine.green and firstly welcome to this friendly and supportive forum. I am glad you have found us.

It is difficult to say exactly what the early signs of dementia are, as this can vary from person to person. Certainly failing memory and some form of cognitive decline are common.
What I would suggest is to keep a diary note of the behaviours and symptoms that you are concerned about, and take these with you to the GP with your Dad when he goes for an appointment. If the GP is concerned, it is likely that he will be referred to a memory clinic for a fuller assessment. (this appointment wait time varies a lot depending on location in the UK).

Now that you have found us, please do have a good look around the forums and ask any particular questions you may like to. People here really do want to help.

 

[Neveradullday!]

Hi @maxine.green
Early symptoms I encountered with my mum were - getting words wrong (she used to call squirrels sheriffs and pigeons penguins, that was one of the earliest symptoms I'd guess).
Others - she used to forget to turn the gas grill off.
Common early symptoms would also be putting things in the wrong places, eg a comb in the fridge. Also just becoming a bit more argumentative.
Difficulty writing, too.

 

[My Mum's Daughter]

I'm going to be completely different to everyone else.

First sign was complete loss of her sense of smell
Next all maths skills went. Christmas time, she bought us all jumpers in a size 8; we're 12-14
Continuous humming which drove me mad
Obsession with tissues in every pocket, sleeve and handbag
Stopped cooking but still ate
Wore the same clothes day after day
Lost things, often her hearing aids

Loss of words came much, much later and she never lost her balance.