The early stages of dementia and intermittent memory loss

The early stages of dementia can bring with it intermittent memory loss, which may not be diagnosed at the time of carrying out a capacity test. Many people fear the diagnosis of dementia and when in denial find a way to play this.

Signs to look out for

The concern is when an individual who has been suffering a mental health illness over the years and is living alone starts displaying self-neglect and neglect of their living environment. When this happens it is easy to think that this is part of their illness and dementia can go misdiagnosed.

This was the case of one client I was asked to visit. His son had contacted me as my client had been suffering with depression for a number of years. His illness had caused immense pressure on the family and when his two sons left home he and his wife separated. His wife had done everything for him and he had become dependent on her and this became too much for her to cope with.

Are you aware of their living conditions?

Living on his own proved difficult as too did the management of everyday tasks and the maintenance of the home. He would put family off when they wanted to visit, so no one got to see the condition he was living in.

The family became more and more concerned about his well-being along with his self-neglect; he was not washing or changing his clothes and his mood swings and paranoia were getting worse.

However, as there was no POA or appointed person it was not only difficult to try and arrange an appointment but the GP would not discuss anything without the patient’s consent.

In the end, out of concern for his father, his son turned up at the property one morning and said that he wanted to take him to the doctor. It was at this point his father said that he had been feeling suicidal and had taken an overdose.

He was rushed to A&E and later sectioned and then moved to residential care. It was not until he was in care that the question of dementia was raised. The gentleman then admitted that he had noticed that he was losing his memory and getting more and more confused, and this had caused extra anxiety which led to him wanting to take his life.

This is a prime example of why certain discussions and sharing of information is vital when it comes to patient confidentiality when acting in the interest of the patient.

Do you need help with a family member with early-stage dementia?

Contact Us today for help or have a look at our Support Directory for trusted charities and partners.

 

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Please sign our petition here to allow communication with doctors about the health of our loved ones. We need to be able to talk to them. It’s horrible being left out with no way of being to help our family. Let’s change this. Here’s the link to sign, you’ll go to another page on our website.

Thank you in advance.

Please take a moment to sign the petition by our founder, Cheryl Carter.