Is it early signs of dementia or senior moments
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hubby is 76 quite in good health for his age. Recently I have noticed his short term memory is not so good, he forgets recent events and repetitive questions. I am concerned whether he is showing early signs of dementia but he told me he does not forget important events which are true. He does not think it is a problem so no point of going to see GP. He very seldom his GP. At what stage shall I be concerned at the moment it is only short term memory and repetitive questions.
0 likes, 4 replies
FaithInHim marie13049
Posted
Does anyone in his family have a history of dementia?
It sounds like hubby may be a bit of a tough one to handle. He is 76 and in good health, so he may not be
very willing to get tested for cognitive decline. Is he aware that he is asking repetitive questions?
Is his mood changing ?? Does he get upset easily or get angry quickly? Has he ever forgot to turn off
an appliance that could become a hazard? Has he been driving and got lost in his own neighborhood ?
If there are changes that you see happening, and if any of these changes could possibly harm himself or
others, then he needs to see a neurologist. Otherwise, you could start to use a Dry Erase Board to make daily
notes on. Try to keep him on a definite routine. He could also do crossword puzzles or Sudoku anything that
keeps the brain active. You could keep a private journal and write down the date and what you noticed changing
How often does this happen? Listening to music is very therapeutic and also brings back some memories.
If it is only Senior moments, all of us will have this from time to time. If you do think that it is more than that,
get him to see a Neurologist as there are medications that will help with memory. Best Wishes to You Both
Keep in touch and take care ~ Faith
john_1939 marie13049
Posted
Hi Marie, Don't put off until tomorrow, what you should do today. If you and hubby are going to need help, soonest is best, every time. Good luck to you both, John.
mike09523 marie13049
Posted
What medication is he taking, some meds do affect short term memory.
His gp would probably refer him to a senior memory clinic primarily and then go from there.
Mike.
george17684 marie13049
Posted
Hi Marie 13049,
?Please have a look at my post from about two months ago under my logon of george13049. If you click on it, it should open up to the full post. I believe you may find it helpful. Do a search on the Forum of "dementia" and then open my post from about two months ago.
?With reference to your last three sentences my suggestion is that you do try to arrange a visit to your own GP by saying to your husband that the visit would be for your benefit to help to put your mind at rest, rather than suggesting that it is he who needs this action.
I see this as you both needing to tackle this together; you need some assurance and he needs to see your need for concern is, in your eyes, to be real. From his perspective, there is no problem.
If I can shine a slightly different light on this for you, my wife is severely disabled but far from cosseting her and trying to do everything for her now, i.e. not allowing her to be in a position where she might "fail", I allow her to find and define her own limitations and then use her own judgement as to what she can and cannot do before I step in to provide assistance where she feels it is really needed. Whilst her problems are physical, this kind of approach could work for you and your husband; in effect you will both be dealing with this situation as a team effort.
?We both also practice this in respect of my "failing memory", which is age-related, not onset dementia but is never the less real and we both tackle the resultant problems that it raises, together.
Hope you find this a practical help.
Best regards
?George