INDIANAPOLIS — As many Hoosiers continue to gather with family and friends for the holidays, Alzheimer's advocates encourage you to check on your older loved ones, especially if it’s been a while.
“When dealing with somebody who has Alzheimer's or dementia, you may not notice it at first,” Molly Godby said.
That was the case for Godby.
“We always called my mom the master of disguise," Godby said. "So when her symptoms started showing up, she was in her 50s. You brush things off. They're just stressed, maybe I’m not around them as much.”
Godby now recognizes those signs of cognitive decline right away.
Godby's dad is currently battling Dementia just five years after her mom passed from a decades-long fight with Alzheimer’s.
“It’s hard," Godby said. "Here’s this person you love and a lot of times they are not the person you knew."
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 121,000 Hoosiers are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
“Over half of those that have adult Alzheimer's or dementia go undiagnosed," Saudia Gajadhar of Comfort Keepers said. "It's really important to just pay attention.”
Comfort Keepers is a senior care company that helps provide living assistance and other services.
Gajadhar told WRTV it’s important to know the warning signs, especially when gathering with loved ones you haven't seen in a while, especially during the holidays.
“Look for more memory issues, things that maybe they're hiding from us, when we get to talk to them on the phone or see them on videos, they might be more confused, Gajadhar said. "They might have repetitive tasks [or] not understand things. It's more than just being a little forgetful, it's constantly forgetting your words. Maybe you can't form sentences. We call this aphasia, or behavior changes.”
Gajadhar also said you should be on the lookout for changes. A loved one may seem more easily irritated, or they are falling more often.
“The most important thing that you could do is reassure them, be loving, positive, nonjudgmental,” Gajadhar told WRTV. “Don't diagnose. That's not our job. Say, 'Hey, why don't we go to the doctor and sort of understand what's going on.'”
Gajadhar said early detection is key for treatment, future planning, and much better outcomes.
