Early signs of dementia: a checklist

The checklist

Tick any that apply, ideally with an example and a rough date.

• Memory loss that affects daily life. Forgetting recent conversations or events, asking the same question repeatedly, or relying much more than before on notes and reminders.
• Difficulty with familiar tasks. Struggling with a routine such as cooking a known meal, managing money or bills, or using a familiar appliance.
• Problems with words and conversation. Pausing to find common words, calling things by the wrong name, or losing the thread of what is being said.
• Confusion about time or place. Losing track of dates, the season or the passage of time, or becoming disorientated somewhere that should be familiar.
• Poor judgement or decisions. Choices that are out of character, including with money, or reduced attention to personal care.
• Misplacing things. Putting items in unusual places and being unable to retrace steps to find them.
• Problems with vision and space. Difficulty judging distance, navigating, or recognising objects, beyond ordinary changes in eyesight.
• Withdrawal. Stepping back from work, hobbies or social activities, sometimes to avoid the effort or embarrassment of difficulties.
• Changes in mood or personality. New low mood, anxiety, irritability, suspicion, or a noticeable shift in how someone usually is.

How to read your answers

A single occasional lapse is common and usually means nothing worrying. The signs above become meaningful when several appear together, persist over weeks or months, get worse rather than better, and begin to interfere with everyday life. If that describes what you or your family have noticed, it is worth a GP appointment, not to alarm, but because the right checks at the right time make a real difference.

It is also worth knowing that family and friends often notice these changes before the person does. If others have remarked that someone seems different, that observation is valuable and worth acting on.

It may not be dementia

Several conditions can cause the same early signs and many are reversible. Depression and anxiety, poor sleep or sleep apnoea, thyroid problems, Vitamin B12 deficiency, certain medicines, alcohol, recent illness, and uncorrected hearing or vision loss can all affect memory and thinking. A proper assessment is worthwhile precisely because it can find, and treat, one of these. See Dementia or normal ageing? and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Preparing for your GP visit

A short amount of preparation helps your GP a great deal.

1. Note specific examples of the signs you have ticked, with rough dates, over a week or two.
2. List current medicines, including anything bought without a prescription.
3. Note any family history of dementia, and any recent illnesses, falls or low mood.
4. Bring someone who knows you well; their perspective is genuinely useful.
5. Write down your main questions so they are not forgotten in the appointment.

Your GP will ask about the changes, check for treatable causes, and may do a brief cognitive test and some blood tests. If appropriate, they will refer you to a memory clinic. See what happens at a memory assessment.