(The book club regular who suddenly “just isn’t up for it”)

Loss of interest isn’t laziness — it’s the brain quietly retreating.

Common pattern:

• Quitting golf, cards, or church events
• Avoiding friends because “I might say something stupid”
• No longer enjoying grandchildren’s visits

Social isolation doubles dementia progression speed.

7. Mood & Personality Shifts

(The sweetest person you know turns suspicious or angry)

Brain changes hit emotion centers early.

Watch for:

• New paranoia (“Someone is stealing from me”)
• Sudden apathy about everything
• Inappropriate outbursts or crying spells
• Loss of empathy

Depression in older adults can be the first sign of dementia — not the other way around.

6. Misplacing Things in Strange Places

(Keys in the freezer, wallet in the oven)

Everyone loses keys.
Putting the TV remote in the fridge and accusing others of hiding it? That’s different.

Key difference: inability to retrace steps logically.

5. Poor Judgment & Decision-Making

(Falling for obvious scams or giving away large sums)

The brain’s “brake pedal” stops working.

Real-life examples doctors see weekly:

• Sending $10,000 to a “grandchild in trouble”
• Wearing winter coat in July
• Letting strangers into the house
• Driving lost for hours in their own neighborhood

Financial exploitation skyrockets in the first year after diagnosis — because judgment fails first.

4. Disorientation to Time & Place

(“What year is it?” confusion)

Forgetting the day of the week is normal.
Thinking it’s 1985 when it’s 2025 is not.

Early signs:

• Getting lost in familiar stores
• Dressing for the wrong season
• Missing appointments because “I thought it was next month”

3. Language & Word-Finding Problems

(Tip-of-the-tongue that never arrives)

Struggling for common words — “the thing you cut with” instead of “knife.”

Other clues:

• Stopping mid-sentence, unable to continue
• Repeating the same story word-for-word in minutes
• Trouble following conversations or TV plots

2. Difficulty with Familiar Tasks

(Recipes followed for 40 years suddenly impossible)

The brain loses the “how-to” instructions for everyday life.

Warning signs:

• Forgetting how to use the microwave
• Getting lost driving home from the grocery store
• Unable to balance the checkbook they managed perfectly for decades

1. Memory Loss That Disrupts Daily Life

(The #1 earliest sign doctors look for)

Normal aging: Forgetting names, remembering later.
Dementia: Forgetting something just learned — and never remembering it.

Red-flag examples:

• Asking the same question every 5 minutes
• Missing doctor appointments repeatedly
• Relying heavily on others for things they used to handle alone
• Forgetting recent conversations entirely

Normal Aging vs. Dementia: Quick Comparison Table

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