A nurse describes 10 signs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia | A study of how north-central Ohio supports its aging population

ASHLAND – Too often, people do not know the first signs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia and do not get help or plan as early as they should.

Tessa Clark, Licensed Practical Nurse and Program Coordinator for the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, would like to help the residents of Ashland, Richland, Crawford and Knox counties as well as the other three counties that are involved. she serves to start the conversation sooner.

"All the decisions about care, legal issues and finances, if you're just starting out, you can take them yourself," Clark said.

Clark led a session at the Ashland Public Library on Thursday, during which she explained to the 20 participants about 10 signs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Clark said that each type of dementia has different signs and symptoms, but most diseases associated with dementia have many similarities.

Here are the 10 most common signs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related diseases:

1. Loss of memory that disturbs the everyday
   • Forgetting important dates or events
   • Ask the same questions again and again
   • Increase use of memory aids or family members for previously managed tasks with ease
2. Challenges in planning or problem solving
   • Difficulty following a familiar recipe or keeping track of your monthly bills
   • Difficulty concentrating and taking a lot of time to complete tasks
3. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
   • Difficulty to drive to a familiar place
   • Difficulty organizing a grocery list
   • Difficulty remembering the rules of a favorite game
4. Confusion with time or place
   1. Difficulty understanding something if it does not happen immediately
   2. Forget where we are or how they got there
5. Difficulty understanding visual images and spatial relationships
   • Difficulty of balance
   • Difficulty reading
   • Problems with distance evaluation and determination of color or contrast, which may lead to driving problems
6. New problems with words when speaking or writing
   • Stop in the middle of a conversation without knowing how to continue
   • To repeat
   • Struggling with the vocabulary
   • Having trouble naming a familiar object or using an incorrect name
7. Stray objects and lose the ability to retrace steps
   • Being unable to go back to find lost objects
   • Accuse others of theft
8. Decrease or bad judgment
   • Use good judgment when it comes to money
   • Pay less attention to personal cleanliness or grooming
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
   • Withdraw from hobbies, social activities or other commitments
   • Having trouble following a favorite team or hobby
10. Changes in mood and personality
    1. Becoming confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious
    2. Get angry easily at home, with friends, or out of your comfort zone

If someone recognizes one or more of these signs in themselves or in a loved one, Clark says, the first thing to do is to start talking.

"It does not have to be me, but talk to someone," she said, adding that talking to family members and friends, finding a support group or to contact the Alzheimer's Association is a good first step. A 24-hour hotline is available at 800-272-3900.

Clark said it's important to start conversations early so that the person with dementia or Alzheimer's can participate in decision-making and planning. It can be much more difficult and painful to start planning later in the process, when family members may disagree on what is best or what the person would like.

If one of the signs is present, she said, it is important to talk to a doctor. The person suspected of having dementia should not go alone by appointment to the doctor, Clark said. It is therefore wise that the family member or the friend accompanying him brings a list of his actions or abnormal behaviors.

A primary care physician may conduct interviews, screenings or tests and may refer the patient to a specialist.

Often a person with signs that appear to be Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed with a different form of dementia or with something else, such as depression or a serious urinary tract infection. In some cases, it can be Alzheimer's disease, which can now be diagnosed about 98% of the time, Clark said.

Thursday's event was the first of a series of sessions that would be held at the Ashland Library from 3pm to 4pm. on the following dates:

• October 25, 2018 – Know the 10 signs
• December 20, 2018 – Understanding Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
• February 21, 2019 – Effective Communication Strategies
• April 18, 2019 – Dementia Conversations
• June 20, 2019 – Legal and financial
• August 15, 2019 – Understanding and Responding to Dementia Behaviors
• Oct 17, 2019 – Living with Alzheimer's Disease for Caregivers – Early Stage
• January 16, 2020 – Living with Alzheimer's Disease for Caregivers – Intermediate Step
• March 19, 2020 – Living with Alzheimer's Disease for Caregivers – Late Stage
• May 21, 2020 – Living with Alzheimer's Disease for the Younger – Start

In addition to the sessions, Clark will be available in Ashland for office hours at the library on the days of each session. Families can participate in consultations from 9 am

For more information, contact Tessa Clark, Program Coordinator of the North West Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, at 800-272-3900 or 419-512-5050, or at the Public Library of the Alzheimer's Association. Ashland at 419-289-8188, at www.ashland.com. lib.oh.us, through the service center of the main library located at 224 Claremont Avenue, Ashland, Ohio, or via the social media pages of Facebook and Twitter.