Dementia and Aging: Memory Symptoms Suggesting the Need for Evaluation

At United Psychological Services, we specialize in accurate and treatment diagnosis of dementia.

Memory Problems are more often the first sign of dementia, less than graceful aging.

Memory signs in your loved one or parents:

• Retaining few facts in day to day life such as who they talked to what was said in conversations and so on.
• Forgetting doctor appointments, lunch dates, arrangements or promises made
• Conversations are not completed due to loss of the necessary words to finish one’s sentence
• Confusion on the year, holidays, recent memories

If you are questioning the memory of your loved one or yourself, ask the following questions:

• Is there a difficulty remembering things that someone has recently told you?
• Do you forget places where you have been?
• Do you forget the things that you need to do?
• Do you forget where you have placed something just that day before or even an hour ago?
• Do you keep getting lost, even if it is the same route to the same place that you have been going to for years and years?
• Do you find yourself forgetting what you wanted to say?
• Do you just think about things, becoming upset, unable to take action to change things?
• Do you find yourself forgetting names of people you have known for years?
• Is it hard to learn new things?
• Do you make the same mistakes? Over and over?
• Do you continually ask for directions to be repeated?

Day-to-Day Memory Issues

• Is it hard for you to make a decision?
• Do you have difficulty taking action?
• Do you Lose keys, checkbook, etc.?

Detecting cognitive or thinking changes, the importance of the Sundowning syndrome:

• Realization that memory deficits may not appear until the sun goes down
• This means that people tend to look better at the beginning of the day and worse at the end
• Do not assume that someone is fine if you are only seeing them during the daytime hours.

Memory loss can occur with so many disorders; however, it may be the primary symptom for the following:

• Sleep apnea
• Alzheimer’s dementia
• Cardiovascular dementia
• Certain medications
• Vitamin B deficiency
• Poor diet, low blood sugar
• Thyroid problems*

*Fisher, B., Ed., (2006) Attention Deficit Disorder, Practical Coping Mechanisms Second Edition Informa Health Care, New York, NY.