Dementia is a term used to describe a number of different conditions that damage the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and frontotemporal dementia.
In the early stages of dementia, a person’s symptoms are often relatively mild and not always easy to notice. They are often dismissed as part of getting old or other health issues, and means many people are diagnosed late. Symptoms can include difficulties with:
- Memory loss,
- Clear thinking, planning & confusion with daily tasks,
- Language & communication,
- Orientation,
- Visual perception,
- Changes in behaviour, mood or emotion.
Dementia is a progressive disease. Symptoms do get worse over time. If you are worried, Alzheimer’s UK have produced a useful ‘Symptoms Checker’ which you can download and take to a GP consultation.