10 Early Signs of Dementia You Should NEVER Ignore!

(Falling for obvious scams or giving away large sums)

The brain’s “brake pedal” stops working.

Real-life examples doctors see weekly:

• Sending $10,000 to a “grandchild in trouble”
• Wearing winter coat in July
• Letting strangers into the house
• Driving lost for hours in their own neighborhood

Financial exploitation skyrockets in the first year after diagnosis — because judgment fails first.

4. Disorientation to Time & Place

(“What year is it?” confusion)

Forgetting the day of the week is normal.
Thinking it’s 1985 when it’s 2025 is not.

Early signs:

• Getting lost in familiar stores
• Dressing for the wrong season
• Missing appointments because “I thought it was next month”

3. Language & Word-Finding Problems

(Tip-of-the-tongue that never arrives)

Struggling for common words — “the thing you cut with” instead of “knife.”

Other clues:

• Stopping mid-sentence, unable to continue
• Repeating the same story word-for-word in minutes
• Trouble following conversations or TV plots

2. Difficulty with Familiar Tasks

(Recipes followed for 40 years suddenly impossible)