The Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: November 5, 2010
The warning signs for Alzheimer's disease can be small changes - misplacing things or changes in mood or personality. Freeman Nurse Karen Laster works with the Senior Serenity program and is familiar with the progression. "Subtle changes such as a person repeating stories or asking questions repetitively. They may also forget how to use appliances they were familiar with - remote controls for TVs, microwaves is a good example. They may forget how to cook a family recipe they've made hundreds of times." Other signs include challenges problem solving, confusion with time or place and withdrawal from work or social activities. It may be tough for the patient to identify the changes, but they may be more obvious to friends and family members. Added Laster, "Just one or two incidents would definitely not be of concern but usually a family begins to get a gut feeling that something is going wrong with the individual's ability to function with their thinking processes." A sign it may be time to be screened for the disease. For more information, contact the Senior Center at (417) 347-7000.
