Caregiver to Caregiver

When I speak to groups or hear from readers, a frequent question goes like this: “Last week I lost my car keys (or I ran into a former co-worker at the store and couldn’t remember his name or I forgot to pay last month’s electric bill etc.). Do you think I have Alzheimer’s?”

It is estimated that today in America, over 6.2 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Approximately every 70 seconds, someone in our nation develops AD; no wonder people are concerned.

Official death certificates recorded 121,499 deaths from AD in 2019, the latest year for which data is available. This means Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death among Americans 65 years old and older. Between 2000 and 2019 deaths from stroke, heart disease and HIV decreased, whereas reported deaths from AD increased more than 145%. This number of deaths from AD was probably increased in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Alzheimer’s Association has determined ten warning signs of Alzheimer’s and identifies typical age-related changes that people may confuse with actual symptoms. Let’s look at these.

• Memory loss that disrupts daily life. Everyone forgets something from time to time. You run into an old friend and carry on a brief conversation – without calling her by name – because you can’t recall it. As soon as you say good-bye and she’s out of sight, the name pops into your head. As we age, that is normal. Continually forgetting recently learned information; completely forgetting important appointments or events; or repeatedly asking the same questions are not. 
• Challenges in planning or solving problems. Leaving out one ingredient in a recipe, making a mistake in addition or bending a nail happens to the best of us. The inability to follow a recipe, balance a checkbook, or use a hammer indicates a more serious deficiency.  
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. If you get a new microwave or dishwasher and need someone to explain the different settings or even agonizing over the instruction book is completely understandable. Putting dirty dishes in the microwave or trying to warm the leftovers in the dishwasher is a problem. 
• Confusion with time and place. Asking yourself, “What day is this?” and looking at the calendar to find out is fine. Showing up at church at midnight in your winter coat in the middle of summer is a cause for concern.
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. Any change in vision should be checked by your doctor. It may be physical or a sign of Alzheimer’s.
• New problems with words in speaking or writing. “Oh, what’s that word for a Japanese tiered-building?” you ask yourself. A minute later “pagoda” appears on the screen of your mind. In Alzheimer’s, the struggle with vocabulary is more pronounced, such as calling a car a “mover-thing” or not being able to join in a conversation at all. 
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. The average person misplaces something at least once a day. A person with Alzheimer’s is unable to remember where he may have placed items (often in strange places) and may even think someone is stealing his belongings. 
• Decreased or poor judgment. We all make occasional decisions that turn out to be not in our best interest, but a person with Alzheimer’s increasingly displays a lack of good judgment from falling for obvious scams to lack of personal hygiene.
• Withdrawal from work or social activities. It is okay to want some alone time occasionally, but a person with Alzheimer’s may completely withdraw from previous favorite activities. Sadly, this may occur as a realization that something is “different” and not knowing how to respond.
• Changes in mood and personality. Reacting to a big disappointment with a temporary sulking attitude happens. Constant overreaction to perceived slights – or frequent restlessness, fearfulness or despondency – are not typical age-related changes.

If you experience or are concerned about any of these warning signs, your next best step is to talk with your doctor.