--- title: You Asked: How Can I Spot Early Signs of Dementia In a Parent? description: Don’t write off memory issues as normal aging. In some cases, cognitive loss may be an early sign of Alzheimers disease or dementia. canonical: https://time.com/4975972/dementia-aging-alzheimers-disease/ author: Markham Heid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-11T15:07:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:08.187Z article:section: Health og:title: You Asked: How Can I Spot Signs of Dementia in a Parent? og:description: Don’t write off memory issues as normal aging. og:url: https://time.com/4975972/dementia-aging-alzheimers-disease/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1527b72ca1ddfbc/6988604b524fc0f68ddf4298/alzheimers-health-illo.jpg?branch=production&width=1000&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1000 og:image:height: 563 og:image:alt: TIME.com stock health alzheimers og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: You Asked: How Can I Spot Signs of Dementia in a Parent? twitter:description: Don’t write off memory issues as normal aging. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1527b72ca1ddfbc/6988604b524fc0f68ddf4298/alzheimers-health-illo.jpg?branch=production&width=1000&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # You Asked: How Can I Spot Early Signs of Dementia In an Aging Parent? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Faces of Dementia: A Daughter's Sacrifice [Watch (HLS stream): Faces of Dementia: A Daughter's Sacrifice](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ahn2cQgd.m3u8) (3:22)  _Published 2015-11-24. Dee Jimenez-Grohowski spends every day taking care of her mother, Theresa Jimenez, who suffers from dementia._ by [Markham Heid](https://time.com/author/markham-heid/) ## Markham Heid Markham Heid is a contributor at TIME. He is the author of The Habit Trap, due out in early 2027. Oct 11, 2017 3:07 PM UTC  Illustration by Sydney Rae Hass for TIME by [Markham Heid](https://time.com/author/markham-heid/) ## Markham Heid Markham Heid is a contributor at TIME. He is the author of The Habit Trap, due out in early 2027. Oct 11, 2017 3:07 PM UTC Your father keeps misplacing his keys, or your mother repeats herself. Should you be worried about dementia? If those seemingly minor issues are new ones, you’re right to be concerned. “People tend to attribute too much to normal aging and are a little dismissive of cognitive loss,” says Dr. Paul Fishman, a professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a neurologist at UMD’s Medical Center. “Dementia is very common, and in general it is under-diagnosed, rather than over-diagnosed.” [Roughly 9% of Americans have dementia](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2587084), which is a blanket term for a loss of intellectual function that is severe enough to interfere with day-to-day life. That interference often takes the form of memory loss or confusion, but it could also manifest as poor hand-eye coordination, problems with tasks like cooking or operating a computer, or mood and behavioral changes ranging from depression to hostility. “Driving issues, especially struggling to find their way around areas they know, or not judging distance between cars, or making turns inappropriately, are all symptoms,” Fishman says. “Responding to telemarketers when that’s out of character for them or struggling with finances are also worrying things.” But the number-one red flag a child or caregiver needs to watch out for is change. If someone is acting differently than they used to, that’s good reason for them to see a doctor for an evaluation, Fishman says. That evaluation will include some form of cognitive assessment—either quick or in-depth, depending on the person’s symptoms—and may also entail blood work or other tests to rule out non-Alzheimer’s factors. In the majority of dementia cases—at least 60%—the loss of cognitive function will be caused by Alzheimer’s disease, says Gary Small, a professor and director of geriatric psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Brain Research Institute. “Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative process in which abnormal plaques or deposits accumulate in brain regions controlling thinking and memory and other functions,” he says. “As that process progresses, it causes dementia.” While some drug treatments and [lifestyle adjustments](http://time.com/4866813/prevent-dementia-alzheimers-disease/?xid=newsletter-health) may slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure for the condition, Small says. **MORE**: [7 Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp As You Age](http://time.com/4931877/keep-brain-sharp-prevent-alzheimers/) Still, prompt diagnosis is critical. It’s easier to protect a still-healthy brain than it is to repair a damaged one. “If you can get an accurate Alzheimer’s diagnosis early, we may be able to put off severe effects for years,” he adds. Even if your parent is relatively young—in her 50s or 60s—don’t ignore memory slips or new symptoms. While rates of dementia really balloon once a person reaches age 80, about 10% of dementia cases are diagnosed by age 65—and for some, the loss of function sets in earlier, Small says. At the same time, there are also other triggers of cognitive decline that are treatable and in some cases reversible. These include everything from an undiagnosed stroke to a thyroid condition or medication side-effects. This fact—that many cases of dementia are caused by fixable, non-Alzheimer’s sources of impairment—may be a good way to coax a parent into visiting a doctor for an assessment, which can be a tricky conversation for kids and caregivers, Fishman says. In fact, talking about dementia with a parent is often more difficult than spotting the warning signs. Fishman says another aspect of dementia is impaired insight, so a loved one who’s struggling may not recognize his symptoms or acknowledge that there’s an issue. “When family approach them, they may be either dismissive or angry,” he says. “There can also be some degree of paranoia,” which makes these sorts of conversations rough. If talking about the issue with your parent isn’t working—or you’re worried they’ll react poorly—Fishman recommends calling your mom or dad’s doctor to let them know about your concerns. “The doctor won’t be able to share results with you,” he says. But at your mom or dad’s next check-up, the doctor can perform an assessment and take appropriate steps. The most important message: Don’t dismiss memory problems or other symptoms as run-of-the-mill aging. Even for a loved one in her 70s or 80s, “a loss of cognitive ability that interferes with function is not normal,” Small says. If your parent needs help, you can ensure they find it. ## Transcript I haven't been to a movie in year. I haven't been able to read a book in years. The last time that I was at a restaurant was three years ago for my birthday. I'm Dee Jimenez- Grobowski and I'm a daughter first of all. By trade, I'm a tax accountant Which I haven't been able to do that in awhile. [ LAUGH ] My parents, they live in Miami. My father is 97, and my mother is 90. My mother was diagnosed with Dementia about a year ago. I was not prepared for this, whatsoever. And nobody in the family was prepared for it. [ MUSIC ] My husband passed away five years ago. And ever since, my life has just been turned upside down. Hey, Daddy. [ FOREIGN ] Physically, I don't have any time to myself. I used to go to the gym. In the last year, I put on 35 pounds. My day starts between 6 and 6: 30. Around 6: 20 my mother wakes up. Then a woman who cares for her during the day comes in around 8: 00. About 9, 9: 15, I get ready to come here to my home. I love you too, mommy. On good traffic, it takes me 40 minutes. It's taken me an hour sometimes. So I come here, I do some laundry, I clean up a little bit, go on the computer, check emails, and like I just wanna sit a relax. Around 2: 30, 3: 00 I take a shower, I get ready. And then I get on the road again, down to Miami. Here we go. And then I get here around five. Make sure that she took all the medications and around nine she starts getting ready. Oh. Let's get ready for bed. I sleep in the bedroom with my mother. Because we're afraid that she gets up. [ MUSIC ] And then 6 o'clock starts the day again, 6: 30 start fixing her breakfast, it's like it never ends. [ MUSIC ] Financially, thankfully my husband after his death his pension and a pension that I had When I worked, I'm okay, however, there' a lot of expenses. My siblings help a lot with my mother's care and everything but the medications are so expensive so I had to start tapping into my Roth IRA. I have no idea how long I'm going to be able to keep this up. Mostly at the end of the year when I have to pay real estate taxes and homeowner's insurance that when I have to go to my retirement accounts and take money out. All right, mommy. [ LAUGH ] If I have to tell someone caring for someone with dementia is Be patient. That's the number one thing. 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