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Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia |
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Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
The Ten Warning Signs
A checklist developed by the Alzheimer’s Association
Memory Loss: One of the most common early signs of dementia is forgetting recently learned information. While it is normal to forget appointments, names or telephone numbers, those with dementia will forget such things more often and not remember them later.
Difficulty performing familiar tasks: People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. A person with Alzheimer’s may not know the steps for preparing a meal, using a household appliance, or participating in a lifelong hobby.
Problems with language: Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer’s disease often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making his or her speech or writing hard to understand. If a person with Alzheimer’s is unable to find his or her toothbrush, for example, the individual may ask for ‘that thing for my mouth.’
Disorientation to time and place: It’s normal to forget the day of the week or where you’re going. But people with Alzheimer’s disease can become lost on their own street, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home.
Poor or decreased judgment: No one has perfect judgment all of the time. Those with Alzheimer’s may dress without regard to the weather, wearing several shirts or blouses on a warm day or very little clothing in cold weather. Individuals with dementia often show poor judgment about money, giving away large amounts of money to telemarketers or paying for home repairs or products they do not need.
Problems with abstract thinking: Balancing a checkbook may be hard when the task is more complicated than usual. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease could forget completely what the numbers are and what needs to be done with them.
Misplacing things: Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or key. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer, a wristwatch in the sugar bowl, or a sandwich under the sofa.
Changes in mood or behavior: Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease can show rapid mood swings – from calm to tears to anger – for no apparent reason.
Changes in personality: People’s personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age. But a patient with Alzheimer’s disease can change a lot, becoming extremely confused, suspicious, fearful, or dependent on a family member.
Loss of initiative: It’s normal to tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations at times. The person with Alzheimer’s disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or not wanting to do usual activities.
Providing you with detailed information about all neurological disorders is beyond the scope of this web site. Instead, I have compiled a list of useful website links that you can refer to for accurate information. When available, sites in Arabic are also listed. Periodically new information will be added for each topic specifically.
These sites have been compiled from several sources including:
- The AmericanAcademy of Neurology Patient Information Guide
- The US Department of Health & Human Services Booklet of Neurological Disorders – Voluntary Health Agencies & Other Patient Resources
- General Search of the World Wide Web
Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia:
Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org
Alzheimer’s Disease Education & Referral center www.alzheimers.org
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America www.alzfdn.org
Association for Frontotemporal Dementias www.FTD-Picks.org
C-Mac Informational Services / Caregiver News www.caregivernews.org
Institute for the Study of Aging www.aging-institute.org
The following sites provide information about various Neurological Disorders:
Stories about persons living with various Neurological disorders. www.thebrainmatters.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke. www.ninds.nih.gov
The AmericanAcademy of Neurology. www.aan.com
The following sites address caregiver issues:
National Family Caregivers Association. www.nfcacares.org
Family Caregiver Alliance. www.caregiver.org
Well Spouse Foundation. www.wellspouse.org
C-Mac Informational Services/Caregiver News. www.caregivernews.org
Other Resources:
Brave Kids. www.bravekids.org
Friends’ Health Connection. www.friendshealthconnection.org
MUMS National Parent-to-Parent Network. www.netnet.net/mums
National Council on Patient Information & Education. www.talkaboutrx.org.
www.bemedwise.org
National Organization for Rare Disorders. www.rarediseases.org
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Neurological Disorders |
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