What are the main symptoms of Alzheimer’s?
Here are the main Alzheimer’s symptoms and my view of how they related to my Mom.
Changes in memory: Repeating things; Being forgetful;Losing valuables; Getting lost in familiar places.
My Mom would often tell me the same story over and over and over. You just have to say politely, “Yes, Mom you told me, wasn’t that great that Melissa had a baby girl.” then quickly change the subject or you will hear the full story for the tenth time.
My mom would often blame my father for moving things, like her purse or keys. She got lost one night when a friend was giving her a lift home and Mom couldn’t give her direction to her house. Another lady, I know, got a taxi home from the shopping mall because she thought someone had stolen her car. She was looking on the wrong level of the car park! She did this twice before her family decided she shouldn’t drive anymore. Very sad.
Changes in orientation: Trouble remembers the year, month day, date, names of people and places.
Looking back I think the first time sign that there was something wrong, was Mom forgetting my son’s 8th birthday. She had known what the date was, so I rang her to ask if she was coming over for dinner that night. She said no it not his birthday today it’s next week. I had to point out that is was in fact today and she could come over for dinner. I helped Mom write her Christmas cards a month before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I would go through her list, write the card and address it for her and get her to add her own message and sign it. She had forgotten some of the people on her list and got annoyed at me for wasting a card on someone she didn’t know.
Changes in behavior: Showing poor judgment, planning and organizing ability. Changes in appearance and hygiene.
After Mom was diagnosed I cleaned and tidied up her wardrobe. It was a disaster area. I moved all her winter clothes to another room and just had the clothes she needed hung up with blouses together, skirts, pants etc all together. I put her underwear on open shelves in the wardrobe so see could see them. My Mom was a highly organized and always looked lovely in her appearance. In the 6 months before she was diagnosed, I noticed she would wear something that needed to be washed or the same thing for days. She would get very offended if I mentioned she might like to change before she went out.
Changes in emotions: Changes in moods, getting stressed or agitated easily, unable to stand noise, withdrawing socially, losing interest in club and hobbies.
My Mom gave up her craft classes where she taught for 20 years. She just wasn’t interested and said it was too noisy there. She would cry easily and became depressed. She was treated, at first, by the doctor for depression. It was only me insisting, she was sent to a specialist doctor at the memory clinic at the local hospital for further test and a brain scan.
Changes in thinking:Less flexible, trouble managing new tasks, difficulties finding the right word, difficulties following conversions.
My dad bought a new car a year and a half before Mom was diagnosed. She hated it! She said she liked the old car better and would only drive when she had to. I noticed at family gatherings she had trouble, where previously she would chat to everyone and following all the conversations. Now, she would withdraw and choose to sit away from everyone and only talk one on one with anyone. She also didn’t start conversations. People would have to go and talk to her first.
I hope you found my thoughts on Alzheimer’s Symptoms, helpful. They will be different for everyone and it is easier to look back and see the signs you missed than see it as it happens. I found the symptoms had a gradual build up effect and showed up more and more over time as the disease progressed.
this is all so true, so much like what happened to my dad….and hard to deal with! Take care and God bless….