My mother is only 64 years old and already showing signs of dementia/Alzheimer's. She hasn't been officially diagnosed as we are still in the process of getting her in with a Neurologist. She experiences hallucinations, very depressed (cries constantly), increased short term memory loss such as not recognizing her home (she's lived there 14yrs but constantly says she wants to go "home"), unable to cook for herself( doesn't remember how) and lately has been urinating in random places (can't remember where the toilet is). She's also experiencing aphasia. Her cognitive skills seems to be declining rapidly. She is the youngest of 13 children and 3 of her siblings who are much older have already been diagnosed (they live out of the country). Forgive my ignorance but I was under the impression dementia/Alzheimer's affects people who are much older. Could it be something else? Her doctor has checked her blood/urine and everything comes back normal.
My Husband was diagnosed at 62 and he had showed signs for quite a few years prior to that. Often people will hide signs and work around the dementia, and friends and family ignore, forgive little slip ups for sometimes up to 10 years before an official diagnosis.
To be diagnosed in the 60’s is not really “early on set”.
Testing, awareness is allowing people to be diagnosed earlier than in years past. One of the reasons might be because of drugs that might or might not work. So there is money to be made with an early diagnosis. (Sounds like my cynical side woke up early this morning!)
I'm glad you're having mom see a neurologist. Make sure that you and your family members are educating yourselves as well on Alzheimer's/dementia, as that will help you better understand what your mom is going through. Teepa Snow has some great videos on YouTube you can watch that are very helpful, and the book The 36 Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins is a great resource as well.
I wish you all the very best.
Alzheimer's disease can strike at earlier ages. Your mom needs her neurologist to determine the type of dementia and stage. This will help to guide everybody's expectations and her care needs.
In addition, it may be helpful to have your mom get a full physical examination by an internist. This doctor can uncover other physical issues that might be contributing to the cognitive changes. Once these medical issues are addressed, your mom may have better mentation.
"real-life story about how Alice Howland, a linguistics professor at Columbia, and her family deal with her diagnosis of familial Alzheimer's disease at age 50, is both heartfelt and powerful".
Here's a good article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/alzheimers/art-20048356
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