Dementia Action Week: Spotting the Signs of Dementia

At Ashwell Home Care Services, we are used to answering questions about dementia from clients and their families across Worcester, Malvern and the surrounding areas. This Dementia Action Week, we’re sharing some information that might be useful to those who think that a loved one may have dementia, so that they can be guided through the next steps to get a diagnosis and what comes next.

Memory and Dementia

Memory Loss is usually one of the first indicators that someone may have dementia – maybe they’ve forgotten how to navigate the one-way system around Worcester City, or maybe they have forgotten if they parked their car in Crowngate or St Martin’s car park. This alone does not immediately mean that a person has dementia – there can be many reasons why we forget things, even temporarily – stress and mental health conditions can lead to an element of forgetfulness, as can natural ageing – so as a standalone symptom, this is not an indicator of dementia.

Being able to interpret what is being seen can be another indicator of dementia – so if your loved one is suddenly having difficulty navigating the narrow lanes as they drive around the Malvern Hills, or constantly parking over the white line in the Cattle Market car park, this could be another indication that there is more happening than just a stressful time, or getting older.

We can all forget the correct word for things at some point – how many times have we called the “wotsit” or the “thingy” instead of the TV remote control or dog lead? Again, because this is such a common occurrence, as a standalone symptom, it’s not a strong enough indicator that dementia is present, but coupled with other signs, it could be a clue that additional support is going to be needed.

If your loved one has become (suddenly) anxious, or worried, or has lost interest in things that used to bring them joy – it could be a sign that dementia is starting to impact their personality. This is not exclusive to those with dementia, so again, it’s not a given – but should be taken into consideration, alongside other potential signs.

If your loved one loses track of time easily – or gets confused about what time and day it is – we can start to draw assumptions that they have dementia – but if they’ve always been a bit late to events, or often turn up at the wrong time on the wrong day, then it’s nothing new and we can laugh it off.

When your loved one starts to have problems concentrating or following instructions (If they previously managed to follow logical steps through an instruction manual) – this could be a red flag that we need to get more support.

Symptoms of Dementia

These symptoms can all be attributed to other situations or medical considerations, and taken in isolation, they aren’t an indication that something is wrong. If there is more than one symptom that has developed, or they have developed in tandem with

• Aggressive behaviour
• Poor sleep patterns
• Inability to settle (constantly walking around)

Then it might be time to ask for a check up with the GP. Surgeries across Worcestershire are well used to making referrals to memory clinicS, where professionals can assess an individual’s ability to function within normal parameters.

Alzheimer’s UK ALSO offer a free symptom checklist that you can use to help guide your GP when you speak to them – here’s the link: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-04/dementia-symptoms-checklist.pdf