Know the early warning signs of Alzheimer's

MOSES LAKE — While Alzheimer’s Disease is always fatal, early detection can help slow the progress of the disease and allow someone afflicted to live as normal a life as possible for as long as possible.

“Alzheimer’s is not curable, but there are medications that can slow the progress of the disease,” said Joan Acre, outreach coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Acre spoke at the Moses Lake Public Library on Monday evening to talk about the 10 signs of Alzheimer’s.

There are, however, more than 160 different kinds of dementia, Acre said, some of which are caused thyroid problems or vitamin deficiencies and therefore can be treated and even cured.

“We need the right diagnosis for the right treatment,” she said.

Acre said the brain ages just like every other part of the body, and as it ages, it slows down a bit.

“We may forget a name or face now and then, but Alzheimer’s is not part of normal aging,” she said.

According to Acre, the 10 signs of Alzheimer’s are:

1) Memory changes that disrupt daily life. This largely affects short-term memory and the ability to remember new information.

2) Challenges in planning or solving problems.

3) Difficulty completing familiar tasks, including paying bills, finding familiar places, or remembering the rules to their favorite game.

4) Confusion with time or place. Acre said some people can get lost between their front door and the mailbox.

5) Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. This includes difficult reading and determining distances.

6) New problems with words in speaking or writing, including an inability to follow or join a conversation, calling things by the wrong name, or trouble remembering words.

7) Misplacing things and losing them. Often times, Acre said, someone with Alzheimer’s will accuse someone close to them of stealing something.

8) Decreased or poor judgment.

9) Withdrawal from work or social activities.

10) Changes in mood and personality, including increased confusion, anxiety, and fear.

Acre said the key to dealing with all these changes is patience on the part of caregivers and those close to the person suffering with Alzheimer’s, since it is important to preserve their dignity and self-respect.

“My number one rule is don’t argue with anyone who has memory loss,” Acre said. “A person with a brain disease won’t remember things. So ask, does it really matter they remember?”

“We all get anxious, but for someone who doesn’t quite know or remember what we are doing and why, the anxiety can increase tremendously,” she said.

While it can be tough to watch a spouse, a relative, a friend, even a child come down with Alzheimer’s, Acre said it’s important to talk about the warning signs of dementia just as it is with any other difficult illness.

“Life doesn’t have to end, you just start treating it,” she said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.