Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease which is commonly seen in elderly population. There are different types of Dementia, most common being Alzheimer’s Dementia.

Common presenting symptoms are:

– Forgetfulness. Persons generally start misplacing there belongings like cell phones or spectacles and spend a lot of time in searching for them. They may have increased difficulty in recollecting what they had in dinner last night or in breakfast today morning. When the disease progress, they may start forgetting names of their close relatives or family members or may not recognise their house, may forget they have had their meals and ask for food again and again.

– Difficulty in doing routine activities. A person may have difficulty in bathing or dressing. He may find it difficult to button or unbutton his shirts or she may find it difficult to wear a sari which she used to wear on a daily basis. Person may make mistakes in cooking food or making tea or other tasks which the person used to perform easily previously.

– Difficulty in language skills. A person may have word finding difficulties and frequently uses words like “that thing” as he cannot recollect the correct word.

– Change in Personality. A person may gradually show change in his overall personality. He may become very rigid or specific in schedule or may become a jolly person or may exhibit dis-inhibited behaviour.

What should be done

Consult a psychiatrist or a neurologist for proper treatment of the symptoms and for control of the disease. Some investigations and imaging may be required for proper diagnosis. Ask for the precautions one must take for proper care taking of such patients.