15 Warning Signs of Dementia You Shouldn’t Ignore

4. Repetition. “If a person is being told by family or friends that they are repeating questions or repeating stories and statements in a short time frame, without seeming to realize that they just told the person that or just asked that same question and it was answered, that’s a red flag,” Whitson says.  

5. Personality changes. A sudden and routine loss of interest in family, friends, work and social events can be a warning sign of dementia. “People may feel less comfortable in social situations — holding a conversation, remembering the conversation — so they may start to withdraw from social situations,” Heidebrink says.

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that apathy may be a sign that someone is progressing from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — symptoms of memory loss or thinking problems that are not as severe as dementia — to Alzheimer’s disease. Acting increasingly anxious, confused, fearful or suspicious may also be a sign of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.  

6. New sleep behaviors. While Whitson says sleep issues can be “very common” among older adults, some sleep behaviors, such as sleepwalking, are not a normal part of aging. “It’s important to know that there are some types of dementia that are associated with altered sleep behavior — acting out dreams or talking in your sleep, when that wasn’t something that the person used to do,” Whitson says.  

7. Worsening sense of direction. Changes in sense of direction can also occur with dementia, Dickson says, and this can manifest as difficulty driving and getting lost in familiar environments.

“Sometimes it’s just a loss of confidence,” Heidebrink adds. “People will start to restrict their driving to very familiar, close destinations, sort of low-speed, low-traffic situations, or good weather only.”

8. Depression. A new and sudden onset of depression later in life can be a warning sign of dementia, Dickson says. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, up to 40 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from significant depression.

Depression may be not just a symptom of dementia but also a potential precursor. A 2023 study published in JAMA Neurology found that dementia risk more than doubled for adults previously diagnosed with depression. 

9. Confusion about time and place. If someone forgets where they are, or can’t remember how they got there, that’s a red flag. Another worrisome sign is disorientation about time — for example, routinely forgetting what day of the week it is, says Dr. Jason Karlawish, a neurologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and codirector of the Penn Memory Center. 

10. Difficulty with visual or perceptual tasks. Tripping over something because you don’t recognize that it’s in the way, or not being able to make sense of the time on a clock, could be warning signs of dementia, Heidebrink says. Difficulty with balance, trouble reading and problems judging distance or distinguishing color and contrast can also be early indicators, the Alzheimer’s Association says.

11. Financial missteps. Money problems may be one of the first noticeable signs of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, according to the NIA.

“There’s a lot of reasoning and memory that go into financial tasks, and so [money management errors] can certainly be an early way that people experience changes,” Heidebrink says.

According to the NIA, signs of money problems can include difficulties with the following:

• Counting change
• Paying for a purchase
• Calculating a tip
• Balancing a checkbook
• Understanding a bank statement

12. Changes in judgment. People with dementia may experience changes in judgment and decision-making that can affect everything from their appearance to their financial well-being, the Alzheimer’s Association says.

A recent study led by researchers at the University of Southern California looked at brain images from 97 adults over the age of 50 and found that people who had brain changes associated with early stages of Alzheimer’s were more vulnerable to financial scams. While not a single, definitive indicator, “assessing financial vulnerability in older adults could help identify those who are in the early stages of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease,” researcher Duke Han said in a news release.  

13. Misplacing things. We all lose our keys, reading glasses, that important piece of mail you meant to hold on to. But putting things in unusual places, or misplacing something and not being able to retrace your steps, can be an early warning sign of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

It’s easy to lose track of things, especially when adjusting to a new routine, like retirement, Whitson says. What’s more concerning is if you find what you’re looking for but have no recollection of putting it there in the first place.

“If you’re frequently finding that you just have no memory of being in that room with that [missing object], to me, that is more alarming, because that suggests that something with short-term memory is not registering,” Whitson says.  

14. Misusing items.  Another subtle symptom “is not using things for their correct and intended purpose,” Whitson says. For example, eating with a spoon when you would usually select a fork, or pouring wine into a beer glass.

15. Hallucinations. Delusions or hallucinations can be a symptom of dementia — “particularly visual hallucinations, like seeing people or animals that aren’t there,” Dickson says.

What to do if you notice symptoms

If you’ve noticed changes or have any concerns related to your thinking and memory, or that of a loved one, it’s important to call a doctor sooner than later, health experts say.

A big reason: “There are many possible causes of these changes,” Heidebrink says. “Not every case where someone is experiencing these changes is automatically Alzheimer’s disease, for example. There could be other causes — a medication side effect, a metabolic hormone imbalance, something else that could be treatable.”

If the changes are due to dementia, an early diagnosis has benefits. For example, there are newly approved medications that may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and research suggests the drugs work better in the beginning stages of the disease. Plus, an early diagnosis makes individuals eligible for a wider variety of clinical trials.

You can start with your primary care provider, who may refer you to a specialist, such as a neurologist or a geriatric psychiatrist, for a more thorough evaluation and definitive diagnosis.

How is dementia diagnosed?

Some methods doctors use to help diagnose dementia:

• Cognitive and neurological tests assess language, math, memory, problem-solving and other types of mental functions.
• Blood tests, though relatively new and not yet widely available, can measure biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Brain scans such as MRI or PET imaging can spot changes in brain structure and function. These tests can also identify strokes, tumors and other problems that can cause dementia.
• Mental health evaluations can determine whether a mental health condition is causing or affecting the symptoms.
• Genetic tests may be helpful if symptoms appear before age 60. Early-onset Alzheimer’s is strongly linked to genetics, according to the Mayo Clinic. Talk with a genetic counselor before and after getting tested.

8 ailments that can mimic dementia

Any number of treatable conditions can cause dementia-like symptoms. Some of the most common:

• Alcohol abuse
• Anxiety, depression or stress
• Blood clots, brain infections or tumors
• Delirium
• Head injuries
• Kidney, liver or thyroid problems
• Side effects of medication
• Vitamin deficiencies

Hearing loss can also be mistaken for dementia, Whitson says. “Sometimes, if somebody is repeating a question, it might be because they didn’t hear the answer before," she explains.

Source: National Institute on Aging