Alzheimer's or Normal Aging? Signs to Look for in Seniors Over the Holidays

Lexington, Ky. (Dec. 20, 2010) - During the holidays, many people have the chance to reconnect with loved ones. As you visit with relatives and friends - particularly older people - you may notice changes in their behavior, speech or memory. Changes like forgetfulness, confusion, irritability or a sense of being disconnected from events may be signs of dementia or Alzheimer's - or they could be linked to normal aging. How can you tell the difference?

Dr. Gregory Jicha of the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and UK HealthCare Kentucky Neuroscience Institute recently delivered a talk on how to differentiate signs of dementia from signs of normal aging. The talk was sponsored by UK Work-Life and UK Elder Care, and presented on campus for members of the UK community. Now it is available to the general public, and can be watched in its entirety here.

“Ignoring a real memory problem won’t make it go away,” said Jicha. “Early intervention may buy years of quality life one would miss out on otherwise. This time is precious, and you should give it as gift to your loved ones this holiday season by getting them the help they need today.”

For more information on healthy aging, Alzheimer's Disease, dementia and memory disorders, contact the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at (859) 257-1412. UK faculty and staff may also contact UK Eldercare at (859) 323-4600 or 1-800-873-8532 for resources to assist aging family members.