5.7 Million Americans Are Estimated to Have Alzheimer’s – Five Warning Signs to Memorize

Alzheimer’s Association’s released their 2018 statistics on Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s estimated that 5.7 million men and women in the U.S. have the disease. It’s also said that every 1 minute and 5 seconds leads to another person getting the disease. By 2050, the association believes that it will be a person every 33 seconds.

Elder Care in Vienna VA: Alzheimer’s Warning Signs

There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s. There are medications that can slow the progression of the symptoms. Experts believe getting on these medications as soon as possible is important. An early diagnosis also gives you plenty of time to get medical and financial powers of attorney in place before cognitive skills deteriorate too much. This means you need to know the early warning signs.

Repeating Questions

You’re talking to your dad and he asks you if you’ve seen the latest Star Wars movie. You tell him you have. Five minutes later, he asks you again. You answer again only to have him ask you again in another few minutes.

Not Remembering the Month or Day of the Week

One of the things that you’ll find is that your parent struggles with time. Your mom asks you for the day of the week. You answer her and discover she knows its spring but doesn’t have any idea what month it is. She isn’t sure she has the right newspaper because she is losing the concept of time.

Forgetting to Pay Bills on Time

We all can miss paying a bill on time when life gets hectic. When your parent is repeatedly forgetting what bills are due or which companies get paid each month and overdue notices start arriving, there may be a problem.

Failure to Complete Usual Routines

Throughout your childhood, your dad always made it a ritual of checking doors and windows before retiring to bed for the night. You arrive one morning while he’s still in the shower. The house feels cold. You discover the patio door is wide open and letting in the colder night air. He doesn’t remember if he checked doors or not.

Forgetting Words

Your mom struggles to finish sentences because she can’t find the right word. She wants to tell you about a story in the newspaper, but she can’t think of what a newspaper is called. She gives up rather than continue on the path of frustration.

As skills do deteriorate, your parent needs help with daily activities of living. Remembering to take medications on time is one of the first things your parent will need help with. Cooking meals, dressing properly, and driving are other elder care services that can become necessary. Caregivers can help. Make arrangements as soon as possible to avoid having to rush the process. Call an elder care agency to learn more.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Vienna, VA, please contact the caring staff at BrightHope Home Care and Senior Care today.
Call us at 703-595-2878  ~ We serve all of Northern VA.

Sources:
Alz.org