Experts have warned of a red flag dementia sign that can be spotted in a person’s home. The Alzheimer’s Association explained that someone with dementia may place items in unusual places and then struggle to retrace their steps to find them.
Another key sign is related to a person’s familiarity with their home’s layout. Even in the early stages of dementia, patients may forget the layout of their home and become confused. This could manifest as walking down the wrong hallway or into the wrong room before correcting themselves.
People with the mind-robbing condition also tend to forget where they placed objects. While it can be normal to struggle to remember where you put your keys or wallet from time to time, someone with dementia might put things in strange places, like a watch in the sugar bowl or an iron in the freezer.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, this can occur for various reasons. Patients lose short-term and long-term memory differently. This means some may remember the home they grew up in rather than the one they are living in now, leading to confusion.
Experts suggested that if you are helping someone with memory problems, you could keep a photo of their current home or the address where they can see it. This could help remember the patient where they live.
Alzheimer’s Association said: “If the person is recalling a home that they used to live in, speak with them about this other home, and what it means for them. This may help them to place it in the past.”
Other signs that can appear at home are not remembering how to do tasks such as cooking or getting dressed.
Apart from red flags that appear around a person’s home, the NHS recommends looking out for the following signs:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- Being confused about time and place
- Mood changes.
If you’re worried about your or someone else’s memory or thinking skills, you should see a doctor “sooner rather than later”, according to the health service.
Finding dementia early could be really helpful because it unlocks the way to starting treatment sooner.