Insight: How do we know if someone is suffering from Alzheimer’s or an other dementia disease?

If you aren’t the closest with the person, you might start getting angry at them because they are being stupid. They forget what happened yesterday. They complain because their phone or computer or TV remote “doesn’t work.” They get lost in familiar places. They lose things.

You will notice a CHANGE in their abilities or their emotions. It’s not just occasional trouble finding a word. That’s pretty normal. But they will start forgetting memorable events from yesterday, and feeding them details doesn’t help. They become easily confused, or more angry or more afraid.

If they were always a piece of work, their tongue may get even sharper. It’s probably due to their basic personality, augmented by fear and frustration. They deny their illness, but they realize that they can’t run their own life anymore. They hate that, just like you would hate that.

Try to have compassion for them. If that’s asking too much, try for pity.