Most Commonly Recognized Signs of Cognitive Function Decline
It is important to realize that significant and sudden memory loss isn’t just a sign of aging. If your elderly loved one is experiencing this, they could be having cognitive declines. There are numerous other symptoms of cognitive function decline that you should be aware of, as well. After reading more about the most commonly recognized signs of these types of declines, if you or an elder care provider notice them in your loved one, be sure to schedule them a doctor’s appointment.
Notes About Memory Loss
One of the first things to mention is memory loss. If your elderly loved one is frequently hesitating to find the right words to use when talking to you, it could signify cognitive declines. In addition, if your elderly loved one is substituting a random word for another word often, this could signify a cognitive issue, as well. These things may be happening because your elderly loved one is forgetting what words to use.
Not Recognizing People or Places
Has an elder care provider told you that your elderly loved one forgot which grocery store was down the road? Has your elderly loved one called you by the wrong name? These types of things happen when someone is experiencing cognitive declines. If they only happen on a rare occurrence, it might just be a slip up by your elderly loved one. However, if they are happening regularly, it could mean there are cognitive declines taking place.
Changes in Behavior
When you pay attention to how your elderly loved one acts and behaves, do you notice significant differences? For instance, do you find that your elderly loved one is moodier or has more of an attitude than they normally have? Do you notice they are acting much differently than they used to? If so, this could mean they have cognitive declines.
Social Skill Changes
Has your elderly loved one started forgetting what happened at social events? For instance, if your elderly loved one was at a family event with you last weekend, did they forget about it entirely? Maybe they are trying to retell the story of this event, but they are getting all the details wrong. If this is the case, your elderly loved one might have cognitive decline issues.
Conclusion
These are some of the most commonly recognized signs of cognitive function decline. If you or an elder care provider notice these things happening for your elderly loved one, be sure to schedule an appointment with their doctor. The doctor can do assessments to determine what is causing these issues and what to do about it.
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/cognitive_impairment/cogimp_poilicy_final.pdf
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