The main signs of dementia include becoming forgetful and confused, but these factors are also closely tied to ageing.
Unfortunately, what initially appears as symptoms of old age or depression can eventually reveal itself as something more severe down the line, when the treatment options are slimmer.
When Graeme Sutherland’s 69-year-old mother Linda began showing signs of unusual behaviour his family attributed them to grief and depression over the death of her husband.
Graeme, 32, took to TikTok to share several symptoms of his mother’s that are “very obvious now looking back”.
“The main one she had was a change in personality,” he explained. “My dad had passed away not long before, so we thought my mum was very depressed and was going through the grieving process.”
Linda became noticeably quieter and more reserved during this period, both of which are signs of cognitive decline.
“She lost a noticeable amount of weight and was constantly walking around,” Graeme shared.
Daily tasks also became increasingly difficult for the 69-year-old as her behaviour changed.
“We found food in the bin, that was a red flag because she obviously couldn’t perform basic tasks, which is another symptom,” he noted.
Graeme equally noticed that his mother’s confusion eventually extended to personal belongings and clothing choices.
“She was misplacing things, didn’t know where they were, was putting things in the fridge that shouldn’t be there,” he shared.
“She would wear clothes inside out and go outside with it, she would wear my sister’s clothes not knowing it’s not hers. But again, these are all things that hide themselves within depression.”
Speech difficulties became another concerning symptom. This typically occurs as the condition affects the part of the brain that controls language.
Graeme noticed communication difficulties and memory loss in his mother
TIKTOK / GRAEMEFS
Communication difficulties may manifest as trouble finding the right words or not finding any words at all, as was the case for Linda.
“Her speech wasn’t the best either,” noted Graeme. “It isn’t good at all now, but back then she couldn’t get certain words out.
“A good test to do that she was given, which me and my sister were there for, is when the doctor gave her four items, an apple, a can and other things like that.
“A story was told and then she was asked ‘can you remember those four items we mentioned at the start of the story?’ and she couldn’t. That was quite a clear sign that there was a memory issue there.”
