Far Side of Far Side of Fifty wrote a tribute to her Dad yesterday. It was a difficult tribute to write as her Dad has dementia.
She very clearly listed the main symptoms of dementia.
Memory loss, difficulty finding words, getting lost, unable to problem solve, unable to do two tasks at once.
I looked at them and then started to wonder how many people in their 80's have similar symptoms. I know I have similar symptoms . But symptoms can be in various stages .
I don't have memory loss. I do have difficulty finding words. Somebody usually quickly helps me out. I don't get lost although today I walked right by my parked car and had to think about where I had parked it. I know that solving some types of problems is a challenge but I still get my crosswords, sudokus, wordle and a few others. I don't like having to multi task. I like to be able to do one at a time.
Last year I wanted to build another bird house. I had a fence board that I wanted to use up to make the bird house. I had problems to visualize how sides bottoms and top fit together. To make matters worse the one end of the board had been sawed crooked. I didn't catch that and it made problems for me in fitting all pieces together. I wondered why pieces didn't fit.
So are we on the way to dementia or just not very sharp any more?
I vote for not very sharp. I just had to give up a difficult knitted lace pattern that would would have been a walk in the park say ten or fifteen years ago.
ReplyDeleteI hope you escape dementia Red. Maybe see your Doctor, my Dad takes some kind of pill he calls it a Memory pill to help with the dementia. I am not sure how well it works, but I do know that days when he drinks lots of water he is much better:)
ReplyDeleteI liked your post about your Dad as you tell the one of the things you have from him are the memories. Be sure to ask him about things from his past.
DeleteIf something has previously been built/ cut crooked, that's a sure fire way to confusion for everyone!
ReplyDeleteI think you are doing ok, Red. As for on the way to dementia or just not sharp anymore, I feel like it could go either way for most people
The other problem with my bird house is that I'm not a carpenter.
DeleteI definitely worry about this. I have trouble with word retrieval constantly which is really frustrating. I worry especially because my father had dementia. My mom is forgetful, but she's 92 and is still functioning well enough. I wish I took after her more but I don't think that's the case. sigh..
ReplyDeleteI also worry as my Dad and uncle had Parkinson's .
DeleteI sometimes wonder just how many of those symptoms occur throughout life, but no one worries about them till they start to get older. An example: One evening as we were leaving work and handing over to the night staff our team leader told us of some slight changes to the routine next morning. Our team was composed of staff of all ages from early-twenties to early-sixties. Next morning all the older staff remembered, while the younger ones completely forgot. Just think how many school children forget their homework, forget to bring their sports kit, can not be relied on to convey messages to their parents.....
ReplyDeleteI think that many times in life the message gets muddled.
DeleteDementia is tricky to diagnose, although if you're truly concerned, a visit to your Dr. and some tests is better sooner than later. I look at it this way, I am 61 and my hard drive is FULL! And no way to do a data dump!! I have to stop and look for words now and then, too. I've read that the number one way to stay mentally sharp is to learn something, anything new - a new language, a new dance, a new skill. It challenges the brain to make new connections!
ReplyDeletethere's also research that shows life style influences the development of dementia.
DeleteI have difficulty with words although they tend to come to me later. I was searching for cheesecake in the blog that I just posted but had to leave it at cake. Of course, it has since come to me. I can do Wordle and Sudoku but I end to make silly mistakes in Sudoku, not with the logistics but hitting the wrong key or whatever,
ReplyDeleteWhen writing a post we want to express our ideas at a higher level and then the word search begins. This happens to me and sometimes I get the word the next day.
DeleteI like to think it is that we are not as sharp as we were and is a part of the natural aging process. I have never been good at multi tasking and am happy completing one task at a time. Dementia is a cruel disease and I hope one day soon there will be a cure for it.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly don't seem to be experiencing dementia to me, Red. Your posts are always very well thought out, just like this one.
ReplyDeleteIn general I function well and am not worried about dementia. I do think elderly people have various degrees of dementia symptoms.
DeleteI do have memory loss. I used to be the "go to" person in the family for old details of our past, but not anymore. These aging brains and bodies are pretty tricky sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI have lived away from family after finishing high school. I do not have many family memories
DeleteI think we all experience changes in our faculties as we age, but it's one thing to have trouble finding a word and another to be unable to speak (like my mom, who also has dementia). In other words, it's all a matter of degree. You still seem pretty sharp to me! :)
ReplyDeleteYou make valid point that it's a matter of degree.
DeleteMy Dad had Alzheimer's so I think a lot about this. I think you do a good job of keeping yourself busy and active and the most important thing is to enjoy the moment! Look at all of the great things in your life and do the things that give you joy. See a doctor if you or your family notice a decline in your abilities but remember to celebrate the life you have now.
ReplyDeleteI do celebrate my life. I have been privileged to lead a very different life and have different experiences that give meaning to my life.
DeleteI think we all lose some of our memory as we get older. I can remember some things and have hard time recalling other things. Occasionally an answer will pop in to my head days later. :)
ReplyDeleteI have trouble remembering names.
DeleteWord recall is a problem for me too. My mind goes blank. I do recover the word later but it takes time. The golden years are not always so golden.
ReplyDeleteThe golden years are better than the other option.
DeleteThis is a link to the Alzheimer web page which explains the differences between normal age-related memory loss and the loss of abilities related to dementia:
ReplyDeletehttps://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/do-i-have-dementia/differences-between-normal-aging-dementia
Like others have said, you still seem very capable to me!
Thanks for the link. I was trying to say that as we age we may have more symptoms than we think but can still function well.
DeleteChanges in our bodies, minds and spirits are difficult to handle. I noticed my dad's dementia when he couldn't do math!
ReplyDeleteThat would be a shock of a discovery to discover that one part of the brain is non functional.
DeleteYou seem quite capable from these posts. I think we all lose some of our capabilities as we get older. Hopefully within a normal range.
ReplyDeleteNormal range is the key.
DeleteYou've gotten a lot of good comments on this post. A while back you posted that you were not having good results using government websites. That led me to wonder if our (US) government has anything to say about dementia. BINGO. I discovered an entirely new, to me, website, NIH, National Institue on Aging. Here is a link to their page on "What Is Dementia? Symptoms, Types, and Diagnosis"
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-is-dementia
Perhaps you will find some professional answers to your questions.
I like to go to the Rochester site for information. It's written in an easily understandable manner.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you true. I am NOT as sharp as I used to be and that simple fact frightens me. One of my private fears is that my body will outlive my brain. Mind you, there are some (my children?) who believe this has already happened.
ReplyDeleteI wonder the same thing, and on top of that, I have a still undiagnosed possible brain pressure condition that can cause dementia like symptoms. I live with uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very good that you do regular mental exercise with crossword puzzles, sudoku etc.. You are also a blogger and that helps your mental sharpness too.
ReplyDelete