FORGETFULNESS and memory loss – both things that come to mind when we think of dementia. But did you know there are other early warnings that a loved one is suffering the devastating disease that strikes one in 11 people over the age of 65? 4 An estimated 982,000 people are living with dementia, the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK says Credit: Getty Snapping more often, napping in the day and walking differently are just some examples that have nothing to do with memory blips. An estimated 982,000 people are living with dementia , the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK says, and this number is expected to top 1.

4million by 2040. Despite it affecting so many families, nearly one in four of us have no idea how dementia impacts people , found a 2023 survey for the charity. Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of neurological conditions affecting the brain, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s.

Read More on Health SKIN SAVIOURS 12 steps to ease your child's agonising eczema from cold rooms to bath toys POX ALERT Health chiefs issue new mpox guidance to SCHOOLS - with 50% of cases in children Dr Henk Swanepoel, the lead neuropsychologist at Cygnet Health Care, says: “Over time, nerve cells are destroyed, causing damage to the brain. This results in a significant deterioration in cognitive function not due to the usual ageing process. “Symptoms of Alzheimer’s typically first appear around the sixties or older but it can develop before 65, seen as early-onset Alzhe.