You might want to think twice before chalking grandma’s “senior moments” up to getting older.
More than 10 million people around the world are diagnosed with dementia each year, but studies show symptoms often begin to appear long before the condition is officially recognized.
Still, a 2023 Alzheimer’s Society survey found that one in three people who notice early signs in themselves or a loved one stay quiet for at least a month, and nearly a quarter wait six months or more before seeing a doctor.
And it’s not fear that’s holding them back. Most people simply don’t know what counts as normal aging and what’s a red flag for dementia.
That delay, experts warn, can steal valuable time that could be used to plan for the future — or even slow the progression of disease.
“There’s a lot more hope than there was 20 years ago,” Karen Schelberg, care consultation director of the Greater Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, told Bridge Michigan.
Today, there are recently approved drugs that can slow cognitive decline by targeting the abnormal buildup of beta-amyloid, the protein linked to Alzheimer’s — the most common form of dementia.
There’s also growing evidence that lifestyle changes can have a powerful impact on brain health.
“Exercise not only slows down disease, but it can also boost mood and help improve sleep disruptions that are common in dementia,” Dr. Golnaz Yadollahikhales, a neurologist at Cedars Sinai, said in an interview.
Avoiding alcohol and cigarettes, eating a healthy diet, staying socially active and managing chronic conditions like high cholesterol and hearing loss have also been shown to improve cognitive function and potentially slow decline.
But not all dementia signs are what you’d expect.
“It’s a common notion that only people with memory problems can be diagnosed with dementia, but behavioral changes or language difficulties can also be a sign of a neurodegenerative disease,” Yadollahikhales said.
These are the five early signs of dementia that experts say are often missed — so you don’t lose out on precious time.
“It’s never wrong to seek medical advice about your concerns if something has changed in yourself or a loved one,” Yadollahikhales said.
Short-term memory loss
It’s normal to be occasionally forgetful, like misplacing your keys or forgetting the name of an actor you saw in a movie yesterday.
But someone in the early stages of dementia may start forgetting things more often, struggle to recall information they recently learned or repeat themselves frequently.
Dr. Gregory Day, a behavioral neurologist and dementia specialist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, told HuffPost there are some real-world, practical issues he tends to keep an eye out for as potential memory red flags.
“I’m looking for people who have made mistakes, maybe with medications, where they wouldn’t have before [such as forgetting to take it or taking a double dose], perhaps some difficulty keeping track of appointments and keeping the days straight, needing more reminders for that,” he said.
This short-term memory loss could also look like missing appointments, showing up on the wrong day, or having difficulty finding their way along a familiar route, Day noted.
New problems with words
Anyone can have trouble finding the right word or forgetting a name from time to time, but there are certain speech problems that may signal early cognitive decline.
That includes frequently stopping in the middle of a conversation and not knowing how to continue, struggling with vocabulary, having trouble naming a familiar object or using the wrong name, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Trouble with planning and multitasking
If someone who used to handle tasks like planning and executing a dinner party starts struggling to pull it off, it may be a sign that something is happening below the surface.
“If it just doesn’t seem like it’s happening well, or it’s happening with a lot more effort, that would be a sign that there are executive function issues,” Dr. Heather Whitson, a professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, told AARP.
Changes in personality
If you find yourself thinking, “he just isn’t himself anymore,” about an aging loved one, don’t write it off.
“New-onset anxiety, depression or irritability in your 60s can be an early and often overlooked sign of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Armen Moughamian, medical director of the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center at Sutter’s California Pacific Medical Center, told Women’s Health.
Other changes in behavior, like a sudden loss of interest in family, friends, work and social events, can also be a red flag. So can unusual sexual behavior or becoming more aggressive, impulsive, shy or hesitant than they were before.
Financial issues
“Something that we need to be really, really aware of, and unfortunately just gets more and more common, is susceptibility to financial scams,” Dr. Jori Fleisher, an associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush University, told HuffPost.
While scams are becoming more sophisticated and easier to fall for, if a loved one falls victim to one, she said it may be worth checking on their cognitive health.
Other financial problems could signal underlying issues as well.
Experts recommend watching for overdue bills and irregular spending, both common signs of memory impairment in people who are typically careful with their finances. Dementia can cause people to overlook unpaid bills or buy items they already own or don’t need.
“There’s a lot of reasoning and memory that go into financial tasks, and so [money management errors] can certainly be an early way that people experience changes,” Dr. Judith Heidebrink, a neurologist and clinical professor at University of Michigan Health, told AARP.
