Is it Alzheimer’s? Is it Dementia?
Top 3 Things to Do When You See Changes in Your Loved Ones.
Welcome to this week’s Experts Dig in with Doggies for Dementia. Our special guest is Maghan Ricketts with Longleaf Bee Cave in Bee Cave Texas.
Maghan Ricketts is Outreach Community Coordinator at Longleaf Bee Cave and gives some of her own personal experience along with expert advise.
This is a tough topic because we dread seeing our loved ones age. We feel even worse if they experience physical and cognitive changes.
Are the changes normal signs of aging or are we seeing hints of a possible dementia diagnosis?
This is a timely topic because the holidays are a time of family gatherings and visits. The Covid-19 pandemic last year really got in the way of our usual celebrations and visits, and many of us are getting out and visiting this year.
The Thing About Change…
Sometimes change is slow and insidious, however when we have fewer and more sporadic visits, the changes might be more dramatic. 
- What do you do?
- Who do you tell?
- Are you ready for how it feels to discuss these tough topics?
It’s never easy, even for those who are in the field of elder care and dementia care. Today, we talk about this very topic with Maghan Ricketts with LongLeaf Bee Cave. She offers a personal story as well as her professional guidance. You’re not going to want to miss this!
Maghan’s Story:
Sometimes we’re not seeing our loved ones, especially during this time of the pandemic. We’re not seeing them quite so often, which means that sometimes when we do visit, we see big changes.
So I’m going to start with a personal story and I’ll get into those things. I have a great aunt, and this is a couple of years back. She lives in Austin and we were the closest family to her- my husband and I and my sister in law and her boyfriend.
And we saw her often, and we noticed that she was starting to forget some things, but no big deal because everybody forgets things. I mean, I forget things.
And it really took a turn.
When she was driving, she went to a local supermarket. She’s been going there for 20 years. She knows the way she knows the way back. It’s pretty seamless. And she got lost.
And it’s something that she’s never done before. She called my sister in law in a panic. She didn’t know where she was.
She didn’t know anything around her. And we really started thinking, okay, this is not just forgetting a couple of words here and there.
It’s a bigger problem. It could be the start of maybe dementia. And so because of that, we did get her checked out by a doctor, and she does have dementia.
Common First Signs
There are a couple of other things that you could look out for when you’re home.
- Some people that have dementia might find it hard to complete daily tasks, such as driving to familiar location, maybe organizing a grocery list.
- Typical tasks cause confusion now.
- Or they may forget the rules of their favorite game that they’ve played for 60 years.
- Or if you’re trying to have a conversation with them, they might stop in the middle of that conversation, have no idea how to continue, and then repeat themselves over and over without realizing it.
- And another one could be forgetting important dates and asking the same questions over and over, even though you just answered.
There are many other signs and symptoms. Be sure and follow us on social media because our posts are full of great tips and useful information.
What’s Next?
Every family and experience is different, however there are some important steps to take no matter how easy or challenging they may be. As a nurse practitioner, I often said, “the line in the sand is always safety.” This doesn’t mean we disregard one’s wishes or preferences or opinions of other family members. Safety simply needs to ride high on the list of considerations. All decisions hinge on safety-preserving one’s physical, emotional, relational and spiritual needs. 
Be sure and take a listen to our latest Experts Dig in with Doggies for Dementia with Maghan Ricketts before you head out for the holidays.
About Longleaf Bee Caves
About Doggies for Dementia: Doggies for Dementia is a 501c3 corporation with a mission to provide beautiful experiences and memories for those impacted by dementia using photography. We are also advocates with sights on raising awareness through education, so nobody has to experience the pain of stigma, isolation and loneliness. Experts Dig in with Doggies for Dementia is our program with interesting and informative interviews with experts from all realms including family members and professional caregivers. Grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair and join us! Carmen Davailus is founder and President of Doggies for Dementia Foundation.
