November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. This was established by Ronald Reagan in 1983. Currently, more than 6 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s. With numbers continuously on the rise, it is important to discuss the steps you can take if a loved one is showing signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s.
What are the signs of Early Alzheimer’s?
Signs of Alzheimer’s can start small and be sneaky. Many doctors say that unusual behavior can be an early sign that a person may be suffering from some form of mental decline or impairment. This can include getting lost in a familiar area, forgetting someone’s name you have known for years, or wearing dirty clothes when the elder has previously been particular about what they wore.
Some other early to middle-stage signs include:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alzheimers-disease/symptoms/
- Forgetting about recent conversations or events
- Misplacing items
- Forgetting the names of places and objects
- Having trouble thinking of the right word
- Asking questions repetitively
- Showing poor judgment or finding it harder to make decisions
- Becoming less flexible and more hesitant to try new things
- Mood changes, such as increased anxiety or agitation, or periods of confusion.
- Struggling to remember the names of people they know and unable to recognize their family and friends.
- Increasing confusion and disorientation
- Obsessive, repetitive, or impulsive behavior
- Delusions or feeling paranoid and suspicious about caretakers or family members
- Problems with speech or language (aphasia)
- Disturbed sleep
- Changes in mood, such as frequent mood swings, depression, and feeling increasingly anxious, frustrated, or agitated
- Difficulty performing spatial tasks, such as judging distances
- Seeing or hearing things that other people do not (hallucinations)
- Symptoms of vascular dementia.
Ways to prepare.
Newly diagnosed patients and their caretakers can learn more and find resources from the Alzheimer’s Association, the Lewy Body Dementia Association, the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, and the government’s website, alzheimers.gov. Families should also put elder law attorneys, financial planners, adult day centers, respite services, caregiver support services, and other resources in place.
Hiring an occupational therapist, ideally with expertise in dementia, to do a home assessment and recommend modifications can help improve quality of life.
It is important to communicate regularly with loved ones, so any difference or a new issue is more likely to be noticed. Appointing a caregiver to be a healthcare proxy and help advise the impaired individual with their medical condition can be beneficial.
What is a Healthcare Proxy and how can it help me?
A healthcare proxy is used in conjunction with the living will and can be very effective. While a living will’s directives aren’t legally binding, a person can assign someone over 18 years of age, typically a member of their family, to be a proxy or agent for them. This legally assigns them the responsibility of making the final decision on life-prolonging care and actions to take should the assigner of the proxy no longer be able to express their wishes. In Massachusetts, the Health Care Proxy Law requires care providers and healthcare facilities to follow the wishes of the proxy. By having a health care proxy assigned to a trusted person, someone can ensure that their wishes expressed in a living will are followed.
To learn more about how an elder law attorney can help your family, visit our website to schedule your free estate plan consultation!