Maryville dementia practitioner shares signs of dementia to look out for in loved ones

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - With family gatherings being planned for the holiday season, it could be a good time to look out for signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s within your loved ones.

Kimberly Hogan, a certified dementia practitioner with Right at Home in Maryville shared a few signs to look out for.

“Some of those signs might be just simple memory loss, forgetting to do things they would normally do. Forgetting to take a bath, forgetting to eat. Something they may want to look out for is a messy house when normally that loved one is very neat or tidy,” shared Hogan.

Hogan with Right at Home said to help stimulate the memory of those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it is best to keep them in good company and on a normal routine.

She also shared it is also good to not correct them or call them out on their mix-ups.

Married for 65 years, Jan White knows her husband Joseph very well, making it easy for her to spot a difference in him back in 2016.

“He had open-heart surgery in 2016. And right after that, I begin to notice some changes. We would be driving somewhere and he would ask me ‘now which way do we go?’ and he had been there hundreds of times,” shared White.

Jan said Joseph was later diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, which can be caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain.

White shared Right at Home has since helped with her husband’s dementia, and she’s encouraging others to look out for signs from their loved ones.

“Be open about it and share. You would be amazed at how many people are going through the same situation. Get help soon, don’t wait.,” says White.

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