1. Diagnosing dementia

Information about the early signs of dementia, the importance of early and correct diagnosis and the ways in which it is diagnosed.

What are the early signs of dementia?

The early signs of dementia are very subtle and vague and may not be immediately obvious. Early symptoms also vary a great deal. Usually though, people first seem to notice that there is a problem with memory, particularly in remembering recent events.

Other common symptoms include:

Confusion
Personality change
Apathy and withdrawal
Loss of ability to do everyday tasks

Sometimes people fail to recognise that these symptoms indicate that something is wrong. They may mistakenly assume that such behaviour is a normal part of the ageing process. Or symptoms may develop gradually and go unnoticed for a long time. Sometimes, people may refuse to act even when they know something is wrong.

Ten warning signs

This is a checklist of common symptoms of dementia. Go through the list of the symptoms, if there are several that you say 'yes' to, a doctor should be consulted for a complete examination of the person with the symptoms.

Recent memory loss that affects job skills

It is normal to forget meetings, colleagues' names, or a business associate's telephone number occasionally, but then remember them later.
A person with dementia may forget things more often, and not remember them later.

Difficulty performing familiar tasks

Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember to serve them when the meal has finished.
A person with dementia might prepare a meal and not only forget to serve it, but also forget they made it.