September is World Alzheimer’s Awareness month.
“Alzheimer’s is actually a disease, but it’s actually the most common form of dementia,” Dr. Katie Hendley said.
“Dementia is the umbrella term. Alzehimer’s makes up about 60-70% of cases of dementia, there’s some less well known forms,” she said.
Dr. Hendley is a neurologist at Covenant Medical Group.
“Some of the early signs would be if someone was repeating themselves, so asking the same question or not, misplacing things they normally wouldn’t,” Dr. Hendley said.
“If they have trouble with new learning, so if they have a new appliance or tech device, they have trouble knowing how to operate that. They can also have disorientation in some otherwise familiar places, and then if they’re taken out of their normal environment, that disorientation can amplify,” she said.
She said if you or a loved one are starting to show some of those signs, call your primary care physician.
The Alzheimer’s Association has their annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s coming up in Lubbock on October 14. To learn more or register, visit the walk’s website here.
