😱 PARANOIA or Memory Loss. Signs That Could be Early Alzheimer's

Geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH, covers 21 signs that families sometimes assume are "normal aging," but in fact are usually signs of a brain health disorder. #aging #brain #paranoia #memoryloss

Learn why it's not normal for an older person to become paranoid, start making false accusations, start repeating stories, and more.

Video chapters:
0:00 Signs that could be early Alzheimer's
0:26 When it's useful to check for these symptoms
1:55 For more help with these signs
2:18 What to ask yourself when checking for these signs
2:43 Behaviors that are not normal aging
6:47 The AD-8 Informant Signs for possible Alzheimer's
7:31 More signs and behaviors that can be signs of a brain health disorder
13:59 Is it depression, anxiety, or something more?
15:02 How to use this list of signs

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Learn proven ways to manage common health problems that affect older adults on Dr. Kernisan's website, podcast, and now on YouTube.

She also has a special interest in addressing common concerns and dilemmas about how to help older parents and other aging relatives. Through her Helping Older Parents online courses and programs, she provides practical guidance along with real-time access to herself and other geriatrics experts.

[BetterHealthWhileAging]

*FREE ONLINE WORKSHOP*
👉 How to Help Your Aging Parent with Memory Loss Be Safer (Even If They're Resisting Your Help): 👉

[ithacacomments]

My 93 year old mother passed in April. She had been a resident of a Care Home for three years.
Interacting with her, and caring for her drained every caring cell from my being.
At her ending, I felt numb.
Her passing was more relief than grief.
I am 73.
73 years of dealing with my Mother's health, emotional, and mental issues.
The drama is over!

[kiwikeith]

I am elderly. I feel I can return my opinion. First up, there is a retired guy in his nineties across the street from me, who in my view manifests most, or perhaps all your stated indicators. But then I assess myself. You know, I suggest we are right now, the result of our lifetime up to this point. Some of us have lived tragedies that have made us remote from all those who once were near and dear. Another casualty for me, is that I once believed and trusted in goodness, - even on the part of those who present themselves as righteous and virtuous - but are not. 33 years ago my family was attacked, and I had to defend my family. I experienced the worst of people, including officials and authorities. Since then, my resultant caution has been misrepresented as Paranoia. I saved our children, but not the marriage. I then had to deal with false allegations which asset stripped the family, meaning our poverty reminds us / me every day. Friends desert us when they hear lies about us, now the kids live far away, I live alone. Anyone living next door might see me when I check my mailbox, but no other time. I'm not at all violent. I think I am polite and courteous but your markers do fit me surprisingly well. May I suggest that elderly lose energy and motivation when they are made spare with no role, and no finance for hobbies, and one's likely remaining life is too short to take on an animal pet which might be orphaned. I guess many might say I am depressed, but I see it as a natural effect of experience. Like so many elderly, my kids live far away, in a modern world in which I don't belong. Occasionally I will hear of one, or the other, but we never see the family together, even though I am still on good terms with my ex. Being old can be painful physically and emotionally. I used to hear elderly folks remark on how their medics or administrators appear school age and can not have any quantity of adult life experience to help them with judgement - I now understand. As for technology, I avoid it if I can, BUT if I want to talk at all with the kids, I need to cope somehow.

[Siskos-pnnd]

I would like to hear her revisit this list when she becomes elderly. I am 77 yo, my wife is 72. In 55 years of marriage, we repeat many of our past experiences. I have heard all of her stories and she has heard all of mine. These experiences are our memories, they made up our lives. To expect that we stop repeating these stories is not a sign of our dementia, it is more a sign that the medical professionals, especially the younger ones, lack understanding of the aging process. As one ages, your new experiences are few and far between. Everyday is much like the day before, it is more routine, more isolated and one has less practice speaking to outsiders. Often, your close friends and relatives are seldom seen or heard from. This is not dementia, as much as the way society lives.

[donnavincent]

I'm 66 and I have actually improved in every point on this list because when I was younger all my bandwidth was spent making myself useful for other people. Finally I've woken up and am enjoying life and having fun for myself. 🙂

[nildarodriguez]

My mom had all the symptoms. You lose them before they pass. I remember grieving when the realization hit me. At 72 I keep tabs on myself. So far so good.

[carolirvine]

My mom died at 94 and was swift up to the end - She did repeat stories but I think that was pretty normal - The older we get the narrower our lives become and the less we have to talk about - I am 80 and I find myself repeating stories but I am certainly not senile - I usually preface it with, " HaveI already told you this"? -

[Polyphemus]

As a 75 y/o man who lives alone, with his little doggy, your series is a real comfort. On my own, I can allow myself to wonder if I'm slipping. You help to ground me - I'm so much more 'together' than I sometimes imagine. My worst 'short term memory' incident was: by the time I stood up from my recliner, I'd forgotten why. Unable to 'pay attention?' I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago, which was an epiphany. It explained my short attention span, and my poor grades in school, etc. I've blurted 'inappropriate' responses to comments that I found offensive all through the years. I'm sure I've lost a few potential friends, doing that, but I've also gained a few. Depression and anxiety have been constant companions since I was a child. I'm joined at the waist to the internet now, so I always know what month/day/year it is, though I have little reason to care. Every day is pretty much like the rest, but I have obligations to attend to - my doggy's needs, and my own self esteem.
And yadayadabibbidybobbidyboo. Thanks for the reassurance!

[KeffyalewGebremedhin]

Dr. Leslie Am an Alzheimer patient. Am grateful for your efforts to educate me about my disease. Every day am slipping out of the hole I had found myself in. Barely a year since my disgnosis, as 75-year old I intend to remain optimistic in my remaining few years! Be well! Keffy

[lindagray]

One thing you missed is a condition called sundowning where they become very aggressive and combative toward the evening. Your program is very helpful. Thank you!

[Pantherking]

01 Signs of poor judgement
02 Reduced interest in leisure activities
03 Repeating oneself
04 Difficulty in learning to use something new
05 Forgetting the year or month
06 Difficulty in managing money or finances
07 Problems with appointments or commitments
08 Daily struggles with memory or thinking
09 Paranoid or suspicious thoughts
10 Delusions
11 Visual or auditory hallucinations
12 Personality changes
13 Embarrassing behaviors
14 Lack of insight
15 Verbal of physical aggression
16 Significant fluctuations in mental abilities
17 Difficulty in paying attention or focusing
18 Getting lost in familiar places
19 Driving getting much worse
20 Signs of depressed mood
21 Increased anxiety or worry

[wyominghome]

Keep all this in perspective. An awful lot of these symptoms can be caused by prescription medications. Concern about theft and intruders can also be a reasonable reaction to living alone in urban areas.

[Galantski]

Excellent video, Dr. Kernisan, but there are a couple of other signs of cognitive decline that could be added: 1) a sudden onset of impulsivity, and 2) paradoxically, the opposite of paranoia, wherein a person is _too_ trusting to someone with whom she or he is only recently and vaguely acquainted, leading to crimes such as financial elder abuse.

[coop]

I firmly believe that a lot of the mental problems experienced by elderly people (and I am one) are the direct result of polypharmacy--taking a whole lot of different prescription drugs constantly. I was a RN, and have seen that too many doctors get elderly people out of their offices quickly by prescribing another drug for whatever the that visit's complaint is. Too many of them do not ever stop any of the drugs that the patient is already taking, that they may no longer need, or are taking for a problem that some more recently prescribed drug is also for. Add in the plethora of drug ads bombarding anyone who watches TV, and our national behavior of expecting all problems to be curable by popping another pill (also fed by those ads), and it's easy to see why a lot of older people show signs of mental problems.

My brother recently turned 65 and had an insurance required physical with cardiac stress test. Which was normal. BP in our family is low, and his runs 90/60, but the cardiologist tried to tell him he needed to start on blood pressure medicine. When pressed to explain why, the cardiologist's answer was because my brother is over 65. This sort of thing is all too common in medicine in this country.

[flyingthesails]

I need a Doctor like Kernisan. Why can't more doctors be like her? You can tell she genuinely wants to help people.

[annesilverman]

My Mom went through a paranoid angry stage as she declined slowly.

[TerryB]

I know a female friend who has Alzheimer's and is paranoid of anyone who may be part of a companion care organization that is hired to come into her house to help out. As it is, I'm a friend of 35 years (not even a family member) who have been taking her to the neurologist, and other doctors, appointments, tests, etc. while her closest niece is 75 miles away and comes over to see her occasionally. We're trying to get others more closely involved but I've been taking care of her since November 2021 when she broke her shoulder and it's April 2023 now. The neurologist says that someone needs to be with her most of the time to help against falls, etc. But I definitely need to be out of the loop on this since emotionally, I'm about at my wits end and really don't have any legal reason to continue this except to be a good person. But even that has its limits so I can live my own life.

[joykennedy]

I'm older and know tons of older people. Most of the things listed are normal. I believe you are talking about stark, obvious very different for that person. Especially in this age of isolation many of these things are very normal.

[mariannehoutzager]

I am 70 years old and a caretaker for a lady (84) no family, and without any fee, since 2019, she has Parkinson disease and maybe Alzheimers, and paranoia and psychosis. She is convinced her neighbors want to murder her slowly by pumping bad air into her flat and so her legs are become bigger and bigger. She sees armed boys in her bathroom, her neighbor lays on her sofa at night, clocks are cameras and lamps spread kobalt radiation. And so on. I can write a book about it! My own house I did not see for several months now because she wants my attention 24 hours a day. I took over from another friend in 2019 and feel trapped, it is difficult to quit now. Nurses are taking care for her four times a day and the rest of the time I am in charge. I am a butler for day and night! It is a heavy burden ..

[loveewe]

How can you get an adult to go to a medical appointment for these things when they deny it is happening? There seems to be no recourse even if the person is bordering on reckless behaviors and causing harm, like spending all the money so there's no food, driving poorly and getting lost a lot, paranoid and screaming at kids about it, but this is not seen as a crime against the family. I have told Dr.s but the person, who has many of these signs, will not go.