Many adults today find they are caring for their parents along with their young children. They never seem to have time for themselves. When they do get a free moment, they may realize their parent is becoming more forgetful. The parent seems absent-minded more often than usual.
Most people find they forget things more easily as they age. Everyone has misplaced their car keys at least once or called someone by the wrong name. However, when these situations become more commonplace or the person becomes confused in a familiar location, there might be a bigger problem.
A family needs to seek help in this situation. It’s time to see a professional to learn if there is a cause for concern. Following this assessment, the family may learn it is time to look into memory care for seniors. Why might a person need this type of care?
Normal Memory Loss
As previously mentioned, everybody forgets things at times. However, this forgetfulness doesn’t interfere with their daily life. Misplacing glasses is nothing to worry about. These memory changes can be managed. If they don’t interfere with the person’s ability to live alone, spend time with friends, or work, minor memory lapses are nothing to worry about. The family should continue to provide support for seniors but allow them to continue to live life as they choose.
Reversible Memory Loss.
Many things can lead to a person having problems remembering things. For example, certain medications can leave a person feeling confused or forgetful. The individual may have suffered a head injury, and that is causing memory issues.
Stress or anxiety can make it hard for a person to concentrate or remember things. This can lead to the individual not being able to complete normal activities. Memory loss might also be a result of a person’s addiction. Alcoholism has been shown to impair a person’s mental abilities and could lead to memory loss.
The doctor might find the senior is low in vitamin B-12. The body needs this vitamin for healthy red blood and nerve cells. Sadly, many people suffer from a deficiency in this vitamin and don’t know they do. Hypothyroidism is another problem that can lead to memory loss and cognitive difficulties.
However, the individual might have a brain tumor or an infection in the brain. The doctor can determine this and come up with a treatment plan for these individuals. Sleep apnea is another reversible cause of memory loss. A senior living community usually isn’t needed for men and women with this type of memory loss.
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Some people find they only have problems in one area. For example, their memory may be declining but they don’t have other cognitive difficulties. While this impairment is more than people would see with normal memory loss, it doesn’t rise to the level of dementia. The person can still interact socially with others and carry out normal daily living activities.
When Memory Loss Becomes a Concern
Dementia is a term used to describe symptoms. The person suffering from dementia may suffer from language impairments, a lack of judgment, or memory lapses. This condition comes on slowly and progresses over time. As it does so, the person may no longer be able to interact socially with others or hold down a job. Now is the time to begin researching senior living options.
Early signs of dementia include placing items in places they don’t belong, such as leaving eyeglasses in the refrigerator. Mood and behavior changes that cannot be explained could be a sign of dementia. People with this condition often mix up words or forget common words. They take longer to complete basic tasks and may get lost in a familiar area.
Many conditions lead to progressive damage to a person’s brain. The individual then ends up with dementia. Alzheimer’s disease remains the most common cause of dementia or a person might be diagnosed with limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy. Furthermore, dementia may come as vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, or frontotemporal dementia.
Any change in a senior’s memory calls for a visit to the doctor. This problem may be easily treated or it could necessitate changes in the senior’s life. A person cannot know whether the condition is treatable or will progress without the help of medical professionals. Anyone who suspects a loved one suffers from memory loss should make this call today. The sooner action is taken, the more that can be done for the person suffering from this memory loss.
About Summerfield of Fresno
Summerfield of Fresno is a community designed with seniors in mind. Our community offers assisted living suites accompanied by personalized care for every resident. From game nights to in-house doctor visits, our residents find they have everything they need at their fingertips.