What are the symptoms of dementia?

Some common symptoms of dementia include:

• Trouble with word-finding (for example, calls a pen “that thing you write with”)
• Difficulty holding a detailed conversation
• Discomfort in large gatherings
• Visual perception issues
• Short-term memory loss
• Misplacing items
• Falling behind on household tasks or chores, like paying the bills and doing laundry
• Inability to remember detailed steps of something, such as a recipe
• Depression-like symptoms

These behaviors, especially if they are uncharacteristic of that person, may be a sign of early dementia. If you are concerned that your loved one may have dementia, check with a health care professional or get a geriatric assessment.