Major Alzheimer's Disease Warning Signs

Wandering And Location-Related Disconnects

Alzheimer's disease patients undergo changes in brain functioning that frequently cause a loss of the ability to identify familiar locations. For instance, an elderly man who likes to jog in the park may suddenly become disoriented and unable to find his way back home, despite having traveled over the same path hundreds of times previously.

An individual dealing with Alzheimer's disease may want to take a walk, but may lose the ability to use existing landmarks to re-trace the route. In other situations, an Alzheimer's disease patient may forget the way to familiar destinations. They may become lost going to the local grocery store or the neighborhood post office. Unexpected wandering at inappropriate times can sometimes occur in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. This is one reason why many long term nursing care facilities housing Alzheimer's disease patients sometimes maintain locked wards for residents.

Losing A Sense Of The Present Moment

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease frequently focus a lot of time on past events. They may spend protracted periods of time discussing people and places they knew long ago. While healthy seniors enjoy reminiscing about the past too, Alzheimer's disease creates confusion.

A woman with Alzheimer's disease may mistake her daughter-in-law for her sister or her grammar school teacher. She may become upset suddenly and begin crying because she recalled an argument that occurred during high school many years ago. If a loved one confuses the past and the present frequently, consulting with a medical specialist remains a wise idea. Caring for a dementia patient becomes easier with an accurate diagnosis.