What is dementia and what are the signs?

Dementia is a decline in mental ability.  This affects memory, thinking, problem solving, concentration and perception.  Dementia occurs as a result of the death of brain cells or damage in parts of the brain.  These are areas of the brain that deal with the way a person is able to think.

Signs of dementia

The following signs could be the early symptoms of dementia.  See your GP if you worry about any changes in yourself, or another person in relation to:

• Memory (specifically memory loss) – struggling to remember recent events.  Recalling things that happened in the past is much easer
• General mental ability – having problems thinking or reasoning
• Carrying out daily tasks – struggling to follow conversations or TV programmes
• Personality changes – feeling anxious, depressed or angry about memory loss
• Behaviour changes – repeating things or losing the thread of a conversation

Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. It’s important to speak to your GP sooner rather than later if you are concerned about memory problems or other symptoms