As Christmas cards begin to land on doorsteps, an expert has urged people to look out for a lesser-known sign of dementia that can be spotted in festive messages. Around one million people are thought to have dementia in the UK, but more than one in three do not have a diagnosis.
Care expert Michael Berkley-Blezard, from the Elmfield care group home Old Sarum Manor, said changes in handwriting in cards can be a lesser-known symptom of dementia. He said: “Starting to have an issue with reading and writing, where the person hasn’t previously had a problem, is often an indicator of dementia. This could be seen through a change in handwriting in birthday cards for example.”
Common signs of dementia include forgetting names and faces, getting lost in familiar places and misplacing items or forgetting where they are usually kept.
But Mr Berkley-Blezard also highlighted four other lesser-known symptoms that could trigger a visit to the GP.
Not enjoying certain foods any more could be a sign that something is wrong. He explained: “Sensory issues are not always recognised as dementia symptoms and as a result, are not often reported as such.
“These sensory issues could be increased sensitivity to noise, changes to smells and also the way that food tastes which may cause a loved one to not to enjoy food they might have used to.”
Shuffling when walking and having more trips and falls can also be a sign of dementia, along with poor spatial awareness and depth perception.
And struggling to find the right word could also indicate a problem. Mr Berkley-Blezard said: “This can look like stuttering when trying to get a sentence out, stopping a sentence mid-way through or jumbling up similar words such as saying ‘jumper’ when they mean ‘jacket’. This is known as ‘aphasia’ and can also affect names not just generic words.”
The final lesser-known symptom he highlighted was losing track of time and being late to appointments or meetings. This can be linked to memory loss or the inability to read an analogue clock.
Mr Berkley-Blezard added: “If you start to notice any of these signs in your loved ones, try and have a conversation with them about what you have noticed and suggest booking a doctor’s appointment to discuss the symptoms. This will help guide you and your loved one with how to move forward.
“At this point, it is also a good idea to start having conversations on care options that are available and exploring alternative living arrangements.
« As your loved one’s symptoms worsen and they struggle to do more and more, a residential care home may be able to give them the support and care that they require.”
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