Learn about dementia

Conversations about dementia with family and providers are critical. Sharing our experiences ensures that everyone can age with dignity and support, making it easier to recognize signs early and develop a care plan.

• Find information about how talking to a doctor can help.

Dementia exists along a continuum. On one end, you have normal cognitive aging, where individuals experience typical age-related changes in memory and thinking. On the other end lies severe cognitive impairment, or dementia, reflecting significant changes with daily living. The good news is that regardless of where you find yourself on this continuum, there are proactive steps you can take to support your brain health and reduce your risk of developing dementia.

10 Healthy Habits to Maintain Brain Health

• Challenge your mind
• Stay in school
• Get moving
• Protect your head
• Be smoke-free
• Control your blood pressure
• Manage diabetes
• Eat right
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Sleep well

Strategies to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia

• Live an active lifestyle and control your weight
• Prevent and manage diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
• Protect your head and prevent traumatic brain injuries.
• Quit tobacco use and limit alcohol consumption.
• Reduce exposure to air pollution.
• Protect your hearing and wear a hearing aid if you need one.
• Treat vision loss.
• Seek care to address depression and treat if necessary
• Stay engaged socially.
• Support early education and lifelong learning.

Regardless of cognitive changes, adopting these habits can enhance your quality of life and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. For more information on healthy habits for your brain health and dementia risk reduction, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website.

It is best to detect dementia in the early stages. Early detection and diagnosis of dementia provides valuable time for individuals to make lifestyle changes, participate in meaningful activities and conversations, and maintain a sense of independence.

Talk about it if you or a loved one are experiencing signs of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, and see your health care provider to address your concerns. The earlier dementia is detected, the greater your opportunity to participate in planning for your care.

Pay attention to how frequently you or a loved one is experiencing the 10 warning signs: 

1. Memory loss that disrupts or interferes with daily life
   • Forgetting events, repeating yourself, or often relying on more aids to help you remember (like sticky notes or reminders).
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
   • Trouble paying bills or cooking recipes you have used for years.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure
   • Problems with driving places, using a cell phone, or shopping.
4. Confusion with time or place
   • Trouble understanding the weather and appropriate attire — like wearing a winter coat and snow boots during summertime, or inability to identify the time or day. 
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations
   • More difficulty with balance or judging distance, tripping over things at home, or spilling or dropping things more often.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
   • Trouble following or joining a conversation or struggling to find a word you are looking for. 
     • For example, saying “that thing on your wrist that tells time” instead of “watch”
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps to find something
   • Placing keys or wallets in the refrigerator rather than a coat pocket.
8. Decreased judgment
   • Becoming a victim of a scam (typically via phone calls or emails), not managing money well, paying less attention to hygiene, or having trouble caring for a pet.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
   • Not actively participating in work, not wanting to attend social activities as usual, not having the ability to follow sporting events.
10. Changes in mood and personality
    • Getting easily upset in everyday situations, or being fearful or suspicious.

Learn about the difference between signs of dementia and normal aging.

Does your loved one show signs of dementia?

If you’ve noticed the signs of dementia in yourself or a loved one, it’s important to talk about it with your healthcare provider.

• Tips on starting the conversation. (Alzheimer's Association website)

Talk to your healthcare provider about your memory concerns. If you are on Medicare, your Part B benefits cover a yearly appointment called the Annual Wellness Visit, which includes a cognitive assessment that can help detect dementia. If you or your loved one is diagnosed with dementia, Medicare coverage consists of the Advance Care Planning Visit. Care planning allows individuals living with dementia, their care partner(s), and healthcare providers to discuss preferences, future of care, and wishes — in case they cannot later in life.

It’s helpful to document changes you or a loved one may be experiencing, utilizing a symptom checklist can help start the conversation with your healthcare provider. Explore other tips from the Alzheimer’s Association about talking to your healthcare provider about memory concerns.

• Symptom checklist. (PDF, National Council of Dementia Minds)
• Tips for talking to your provider. (Alzheimer's Association website)
• Medicare benefits for people living with dementia (PDF, Alzheimer’s Association)
   

Why early detection is important

• Noting the early signs of dementia means you can get the correct diagnosis. Dementia, or memory loss and loss of some thinking abilities, is sometimes caused by a brain disease such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is possible to reverse some causes of dementia, such as medication side effects or vitamin deficiencies.
• There are treatments and medications available to address the symptoms of some types of dementia. These treatments work best when someone gets a dementia diagnosis in the early stages.
• Knowing your diagnosis can help you, your loved ones, and your care team provide better care.
• Finding out early if you are experiencing signs of dementia can help you and your loved ones plan for the future. You can build a care team, get support, and take part in decisions related to your care.
• When we pay attention to the signs and discuss them, we can ensure every moment matters. When we talk openly, we can identify the actions we all can take to reduce our risk and support the quality of life for those who have dementia.

Learn more about early detection

•  Learn more about the benefits of early detection and how to have the conversation. 
   

Care partners are the friends and family members who offer unpaid care to a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. These diseases impact those living with them and those caring for them.

Care partners of people living with Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias experience worse health outcomes. One in 3 people report that their health has worsened as a result of caregiving, compared to 1 in 5 people who care for older adults without dementia. Their health and well-being matter, too. By ensuring they take care of themselves, they will be better equipped to provide care to their loved ones.

Resources

• Find services and support for people with dementia and care partners at Mile High United Way.
• Find dementia care programs for care partners at Best Programs for Caregiving. 
• Find information, support, and resources for care partners at the Family Caregiving Alliance.
• Respite (temporary relief from care) and related resources at the Colorado Respite Coalition. 
• Find resources with AARP’s Community Resource Finder. 
• “I have Alzheimer’s” from the Alzheimer’s Association.
• Call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.
• Find classes about dementia for care partners at Dementia Together.