Friday, May 7, 2010

IS IT JUST MY AGE OR IS IT ALZHEIMER'S?

As my mom's sole caregiver, it worries me sometimes when I see signs of confusion and memory lapses in her. At aged 84, is she already displaying signs of Alzheimer's Disease? She can't remember dates, places and names of family members. She doesn't know one day from another, and forgets what she just had for dinner or where she has left her purse.

But I have the same forgetfulness too. And I am only 62! Am I also going through the early stages of AD?

Tucking into durian - my mom's favourite fruit after apples and bananas

According to Alzheimer's Association, these are the 10 signs of AD:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure:

4. Confusion with time or place

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

8. Decreased or poor judgment

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities

10. Changes in mood and personality

Based on the above, I am relieved to know that my mom shows only 2 (#4 and #7) out of the 10 signs. So are her memory lapses and confusion nothing more than typical age-related changes? Is she at risk of developing full-blown AD as she advances in age? Only a geriatrician can answer that. 
 
If you want to set your mind at ease, find out more about AD at Alzheimer's Association.

1 comment:

இ Baŋäŋaz இ said...

Thankz for the info & the link to AA. It is inevitable we have to go through life and walk the journey. For her age a score of 8/10 is a good sign. tQ