Rebecca Page, from care residence group CHD Living, mentioned that hoarding objects that “may seem excessive” may sign dementia.
She mentioned: “More unusual symptoms to look out for can be persistently adjusting clothing, disinhibition [ an inability to withhold an inappropriate or unwanted behaviour], keeping meticulous notes about everyday things, hoarding items that may seem excessive, and being very anxious about money.
“Each different symptom, however, won’t necessarily point to a specific type of dementia on its own, although groups of symptoms can sometimes indicate that a person may have a certain type of dementia.”
“The most common symptoms are usually reduced short-term memory; however, this is not solely a symptom of dementia,” Ms Page continued.
“Other common or obvious symptoms may be getting muddled when performing day to day tasks, being more reluctant to go out or engage with people and putting items in ‘odd’ places.”
The NHS lists frequent indicators of dementia as:
Ms Page defined react should you suppose somebody you understand is exhibiting signs of dementia.
She mentioned: “The first step will always be to speak to the person displaying the symptoms and asking them if they are OK or if they have noticed anything wrong or different; be honest about your worries.
"This may upset the person initially, but it may also help them to realise that they are not alone, and people care about how they are feeling.
“The GP is always the first port of call to get advice and support if the person consents to this (if they can).
“Try not to argue with the person or try to tell them that what they are doing is wrong, as their actions may feel perfectly normal to them.”
Although the chance of dementia does heighten with age there are other factors that can increase your likelihood of developing the condition.
“Smoking and alcohol consumption are key factors in increasing the risk of dementia as these have a direct impact on brain cell health,” Ms Page added.
“Maintaining brain health can be achieved through maintaining good social contact with people – loneliness is proven to have an impact on brain function and health – as well as doing brain exercises such as word games, puzzles or engaging in something you enjoy such as listening to music, crafts, or gardening.
“Some dementias are linked to physical health so people who maintain a healthy cholesterol may find that their risk of vascular related dementias are reduced.”
To lower your risk of dementia the NHS recommends:
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