Seventy-three year old Joan misplaces her car keys after visiting her grown daughter at the hospital. She looks all over the hospital room, the path she walked to get there and the ground around her car, with no luck and no sign of her keys. She checks in daily with the hospital’s lost and found desk, but there’s no sign. A few days later, she misplaces her checkbook and her smartphone. Frustrated and confused, the usually sharp Joan and her family begin to worry that this is the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease setting in.
But is it really?
Everyone has moments when we lose things of value – and often the very object we’re frantically searching for is right in front of us the whole time.
It is Alzheimer’s when the forgetfulness is severe enough to affect our jobs, hobbies or social lives. Symptoms may also include mood changes, trouble expressing thoughts, and becoming disoriented or lost in familiar places. Joan in the example above might have greater reason to be concerned if she not only lost the items but also lacked the capacity to retrace her steps to find them. A person with dementia might go to the additional level of accusing others of stealing these items or become lost in the hospital, possibly forgetting why and who they were visiting in the first place.
It’s never a bad idea to go see one’s doctor when experiencing symptoms that raise red flags. The physician will ask when symptoms were first noticed, how often impairment happens and whether the mental condition has deteriorated. A doctor will want to consider all possible causes and complete a thorough assessment before finalizing a diagnosis. Other illnesses can impair memory or thinking, including a stroke, Parkinson’s or a brain tumor.
In the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s, a person may still function independently, driving, working and being a part of social activities. As it progresses over time, friends, family and neighbors may begin to notice more pronounced difficulties as the senior confuses words, gets frustrated or angry, or behaves in unexpected ways. Eventually, they may become concerned about the senior wandering off and becoming lost.
One benefit of living in a retirement community rather than alone is the presence of special care for those who transition from Assisted Living to Memory Care. At Regency Retirement Village of Huntsville, we have a specialty care center, Regency Rememberances, with secured residential housing and 24-hour personalized assistance for individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related needs. Our caring staff takes care of serving nutritious meals and administering medications while the senior no longer has to worry about things like washing laundry or driving to doctor appointments.
Additionally, there is support for family and caregivers from people who know what they are going through.
At Regency retirement communities, we combine four types of senior living within the same campus in a Continuum of Care so Huntsville seniors can be assured of placement as they move from independence to needing more care.
We still lack a cure for Alzheimer’s, but when diagnosed early, treatments are most effective, according to the Alzheimer’s Association of America. Scientists are hoping to develop biomarkers for earlier detection – in much the same way blood glucose level indicates the presence of diabetes. Until then, we rely on thorough medical assessments of symptoms to achieve a diagnosis so we can begin planning and preparing for the later stages of dementia.
To learn more about Regency, call us at (256) 852-0033.