TV presenter Fiona Phillips has announced that she has Alzheimer's disease at the age of 62. Fiona, who was raised in Pembrokeshire, revealed that she was first diagnosed with the disease a year ago after suffering with brain fog and anxiety.
It is not her first experience of the condition, as she sadly lost both her parents to the disease, her mum Amy died in 2006 and her dad, Phil, died in 2012. She told The Mirror: "This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me. And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it - it’s heartbreaking. I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future."
She revealed that she thought she might get the condition in her 80s and was shocked to get the diagnosis at 61. She said: "I felt more angry than anything else because this disease has already impacted my life in so many ways; my poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us.”
It is estimated that almost one million people live with dementia in the UK. The condition causes changes to a person's memory, thinking, personality, and behaviour but symptoms can vary depending on the type of dementia the person has.
There are three most common types of the disease: Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. It is possible to have more than one type of dementia and often the symptoms overlap.
Spotting the signs of dementia in its early stages is extremely important to access early intervention and allow them to access quality care. These are the seven early signs of dementia, according to Stewart McGinn, managing director at Baycroft Care Homes.
1. Continuously misplacing things
Anyone can forget where they put their keys on the odd occasion but if your loved one finds they are regularly misplacing items it could be an early sign of dementia. For example this could be continuously losing their glasses or finding items in strange places like a TV remote in the fridge or food items in with the cleaning products.
2. Difficulty focusing
Those suffering from early dementia can often struggle to concentrate or focus on tasks that require organisation and planning. That’s because Alzheimer’s disease, which causes dementia, affects the hippocampus, which controls new learning and memories. With this being disrupted it can be much harder to concentrate.
3. Problems with language
A sign that can indicate a person is suffering from dementia is having difficulty forming sentences or finding the right words during conversations. Whilst everyone can forget the odd word from time to time regularly struggling to remember words or substituting them in sentences with random words can indicate someone is suffering.
4. Memory loss
One of the most noticeable and alarming signs that your loved one could be showing early signs of dementia is recurring memory loss. In particular less significant pieces of information – that are also perhaps harder to spot – could be early warning signs that your loved one may have dementia. For example re-reading the newspaper, re-telling stories, or forgetting an acquaintance's name. If you do start to notice any patterns – whether your loved one is frequently forgetting the names of people they know or is unable to recall recent events or new information learned – it’s best to get them checked out by a doctor.
5. Changes in mood
Frequent mood swings can be another indication that your loved one has early signs of dementia as they begin to get frustrated with themselves – sometimes without obvious cause or reason. This can be a person’s mood quickly changing from calm to angry or emotional without reason or if they become generally more withdrawn or anxious.
6. Finding it hard to carry out regular daily tasks
If you’ve noticed that your family member has recently started finding it hard to carry out regular daily tasks, like forgetting how to cook their favourite recipe that they have made countless times or struggling to count their money in a supermarket, then these could all be signs of dementia.
7. Confusion surrounding time and place
Another distressing sign of dementia can be confusion around time and place. While many people can wander into a room and forget what they went in for this is on a much more advanced level. For example your elderly family member might become lost on a street they have walked down their whole life and struggle to find their way home. Your loved one might get confused about time and become unable to distinguish between their past and present. This could include confusing family members with people from their past, like their own parents, and struggling to remember people from their present such as their grandchildren.
How to get help
Mr McGinn said: “The first step is to help your family member, loved one, or friend get a diagnosis from a specialist. In order to be referred to a specialist you will need to make a GP appointment where the doctor will ask about the patient's symptoms. It’s always best to accompany the person displaying early signs of dementia to the appointment as you might notice changes or issues that they themselves haven’t or simply because they might have trouble remembering any information given by the GP.
“The doctor will usually do a physical examination, a type of memory test, and may even want to send your bloodwork or urine off for results to help rule out other things that can contribute to memory loss. Once seen by a GP if the doctor thinks the patient needs to be referred they can visit one or multiple specialists including a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or geriatrician. This will often include more memory tests, tests to assess thinking abilities and problem-solving, and scans like a CT scan or MRI."
There are a number of resources available to help you come to terms with a diagnosis as well as provide support moving forward.
Alzheimer's Research UK can be contacted at 0300 111 511 to answer any questions and provide information about dementia in order to help family members better understand it.
Alzheimer's Society also provides a support line called the Dementia Connect support line on 0333 150 3456. This helpline gives out advice about suffering from dementia and can help to clear up any worries that your loved one might have.
Dementia UK helpline can be reached at 0800 888 6678 and offers information, advice, and support from specialist admiral nurses.
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