Are Grandma and Grandpa OK?, By Lisa McGrath

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FEATURED COLUMNIST Are Grandma and Grandpa OK?

By Lisa McGrath

This holiday sesson, many of us are looking forward to visiting family and friends.

Visiting older family members may give us a chance to check in on them and make sure they’re doing well and continuing to live in good health.

One concerning change you might notice is increased memory loss. You may be wondering if it is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, a fatal brain disease that causes a decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills, or another form of dementia.

To help you understand what to look for, the Alzheimer’s Association has created a list of the 10 signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s:

1) Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

The most common sign is forgetting recently learned information.

This can include forgetting important dates or events, asking the same questions over and over, and increasingly needing to rely on memory aids or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

2) Challenges in planning or solving problems.

Some people living with dementia may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers.

They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills.

3) Difficulty completing daily tasks.

People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks.

Sometimes they may have trouble driving to a familiar location, organizing a grocery list or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

4) Confusion with time or place.

People living with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time.

“Memory Loss” page 24