What to do if you suspect Alzheimer’s
An appointment is missed. A bill goes unpaid. A television remote winds up in the freezer.
Are these harmless senior moments or worrisome warning signs that a parent may be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease?
Surveys consistently show that Alzheimer’s is the second most feared disease in America, after cancer. Among those 55 and older, Alzheimer’s sometimes comes out on top.
After a prolonged period of ever-increasing cognitive devastation, the disease is invariably fatal. So it may seem there’s nothing to lose by putting off a diagnosis as long as possible.
But experts urge you to resist that temptation. In fact, doctors who specialize in geriatric medicine say it’s important to get a parent checked out as soon as alarm bells start going off.
The medical benefits of an early diagnosis may not be dramatic, but they do exist, says Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Also, a patient who is diagnosed early enough is still able to participate in decisions about treatment and long-term care.
“There’s a lot we can do about the disease, short of a cure,” he says.
Besides, the bells that go off may be false alarms. The problem may not be Alzheimer’s at all.
Alzheimer’s symptom #1: Memory lapses
Does the person ask repetitive questions or retell stories within minutes of the first mention?
Does he forget the names of recent acquaintances or younger family members, such as grandchildren?
Are memory lapses growing progressively worse (such as affecting information that was previously very well known)?
Are they happening more frequently (several times a day or within short periods of time)?
Is this forgetfulness unusual for the person (such as sudden memory lapses in someone who prided herself on never needing grocery lists or an address book)?
Everyone forgets some things sometimes. But the person may have Alzheimer’s disease if you notice these kinds of lapses.
Having problems with memory is the first and foremost symptom noticed. It’s a typical Alzheimer’s symptom to forget things learned recently (such as the answer to a question, an intention to do something, or a new acquaintance) but to still be able to remember things from the remote past (such as events or people from childhood, sometimes with explicit detail). In time, even long-term memories will be affected. But by then other Alzheimer’s symptoms will have appeared.
Having trouble remembering someone’s name or getting a word stuck on the tip of your tongue may simply be a harmless sign of aging, says Debra Cherry, executive vice president of the Alzheimer’s Assn.‘s Southern California chapter.
But if bigger problems crop up, it may be time to start worrying.