Note that only a trained healthcare professional should perform evaluations of a person’s mental status. Everyone’s memory is different, and occasional forgetfulness is common among the general population. Family members and close friends typically will be the best judges of changes in behavior from what a person was like previously. If memory loss reaches a point where it interferes with day-to-day activities, take the individual to see his or her doctor for more evaluation.
Inability to care for self: not eating, eating too much, not bathing, dressing inappropriately, not leaving the house, “wandering” behavior. Inability to maintain household chores: Dishes are chronically dirty, garbage not taken out, cooking “accidents”, filthy house, wearing dirty clothes. Other “odd” behavior: Calling loved ones at 3 a. m. and hanging up, odd behavior reported by others, emotional outbursts when nothing outward seems wrong.
Changes in language usually begin with difficulty remembering words, sayings, and expressions. It will progress to a decline in ability to understand other people’s language. Eventually, the person may be unable to communicate verbally at all. At this stage, people communicate only by facial expression or gesture.
Spatial confusion may cause dementia sufferers to forget directions, thinking north is south and east is west. Or that the way they just came is a different route. They may wander off, then forget how they got to a place and how to return to where they belong. Time disorientation is marked by the performance of behaviors at inappropriate times. This might be subtle, like slight changes in eating or sleeping schedules. But it can also be more significant: an individual might eat breakfast in the middle of the night and then get ready for bed in the middle of the day. Place disorientation may cause confusion about where sufferers are, causing them behave inappropriately. A person may think the public library is their living room and be angry about people invading their home. They may find it hard to perform common tasks outside of their home due to spatial disorientation. This can be very dangerous, as the individual cannot navigate environments beyond the home. [7] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
For example, they may put a purse in the freezer. Or the checkbook ends up in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Be aware that a person with senile dementia may defend or deflect from this line of logical reasoning, arguing why it makes sense. Be very careful not to try to get into an argument at this point, as you will be unlikely to convince him or her, and agitate the person. He or she is in denial, and is trying to defend from the truth because it is terrifying. It is safer to focus on you as a target than face the truth.
Again, avoid upsetting the individual even further by getting angry, as this is counterproductive to both people.
Notice if the person spends hours sitting in a chair and staring into space or watching television. Look for declining activity, poor hygiene, and problems with common day-to-day activities.
Alzheimer’s disease - dementia progresses gradually, usually over the course of years. The exact cause is unknown, but plaques and structures called neurofibrillary tangles have been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Lewy body dementia: protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells the brain and cause a decline in thinking, memory, and motor control abilities. Hallucinations may also occur, and lead unusual behavior like talking to someone who isn’t there. This may be related to Parkinson’s disease. Dementia of Parkinson’s usually begins 5 to 8 years after the onset of Parkinson’s symptoms. [8] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Multi-infarct dementia: dementia occurs when a patient suffers many strokes that block a brain artery. [9] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source People suffering from this type of dementia may have symptoms that stay the same for awhile and then get worse as they have additional strokes. [10] X Research source Frontotemporal dementia: portions of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink causing personality changes or the ability to use language. This type of dementia tends to occur between the ages of 40 and 75. [11] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Normal Pressure hydrocephalus: a buildup of fluid puts pressure on the brain, causing dementia that comes gradually or abruptly, depending on how fast the pressure increases. A CT or MRI will show evidence of this type of dementia. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: this is a rare and fatal brain disorder believed to be caused by an unusual organism called a “prion. " Though it may be present for a long time before symptoms emerge, the condition comes on very suddenly. A biopsy of the brain will reveal prion proteins believed to be cause of the condition.
A CT or MRI can show whether or not the person might have had a stroke or if there is any bleeding or a tumor in the brain. A PET scan can help a physician to determine if depression or other mental health problems may be contributing to the dementia.
Some classes of common medications that can cause issues are: benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, neuroleptics, and diphenhydramine (among others).
The doctor may also conduct a psychiatric evaluation to rule out depression as an underlying cause of a patient’s symptoms. [17] X Research source Domino, F. (n. d. ). The 5-minute clinical consult standard 2015 (23rd ed. ).
Potentially reversible causes of dementia include hypothyroidism; neurosyphilis; Vitamin B12/folate deficiency/thiamine deficiency; depression; and subdural hematoma. Irreversible causes of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease,multi-infarct dementia, and HIV dementia.
