My mother is only 64 years old and already showing signs of dementia/Alzheimer's. She hasn't been officially diagnosed as we are still in the process of getting her in with a Neurologist. She experiences hallucinations, very depressed (cries constantly), increased short term memory loss such as not recognizing her home (she's lived there 14yrs but constantly says she wants to go "home"), unable to cook for herself( doesn't remember how) and lately has been urinating in random places (can't remember where the toilet is). She's also experiencing aphasia. Her cognitive skills seems to be declining rapidly. She is the youngest of 13 children and 3 of her siblings who are much older have already been diagnosed (they live out of the country). Forgive my ignorance but I was under the impression dementia/Alzheimer's affects people who are much older. Could it be something else? Her doctor has checked her blood/urine and everything comes back normal.
I was at a seminar held at a Memory Care facility and someone asked how old was the youngest person we were told the youngest resident was 35 years old, married and the father of a 2 year old. 😢
So while not common it is not unheard of. My Husband was diagnosed when he was 64 and looking back I had noticed signs/symptoms for a for a couple years but did not connect the dots. Gotta love 20/20 hindsight
Your Mother needs to be seen by a neurologist who can rule out other possible explanations for the cognitive decline. Best of luck to you!
Your mother's GP might want to think about ordering a brain scan perhaps. If that too reveals nothing of significance, or possibly even if it does, it could be that counselling would help your mother and the family find a way forward through a potentially frightening landscape.
"real-life story about how Alice Howland, a linguistics professor at Columbia, and her family deal with her diagnosis of familial Alzheimer's disease at age 50, is both heartfelt and powerful".
https://youtu.be/Nk68CVu4xYU
Regardless of the dx, please investigate to see if someone in the family has her very important paper work (will, medical proxy and advanced directive). If the dx is dementia it may be too late to get these papers done so you may need to consult with a certified eldercare attorney on what to do next. You may want to pick up the paperback "The 36 hour day" to give you a glimpse of what living with a dementia person is like. Get the family together and plan what type of care your Mom will need going forward, where it will be and how it will be paid.
Wishing you and your family peace on this difficult journey.
Alzheimer's disease can strike at earlier ages. Your mom needs her neurologist to determine the type of dementia and stage. This will help to guide everybody's expectations and her care needs.
In addition, it may be helpful to have your mom get a full physical examination by an internist. This doctor can uncover other physical issues that might be contributing to the cognitive changes. Once these medical issues are addressed, your mom may have better mentation.
She has had a total of 5 strokes, 4 of which were caused by endocarditis, with "vegetation breaking away from the heart valve infection and lodging in the brain. (Same place each time, just affecting a larger section of brain each time.
She has been on Coumadin since 1980 at the age of 20.
20 years ago, she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which she think insulin use is so that she can eat more carbs.
Research shows Vascular dementia most commonly occurs in people between the ages of 60 and 75.
I'm glad you're having mom see a neurologist. Make sure that you and your family members are educating yourselves as well on Alzheimer's/dementia, as that will help you better understand what your mom is going through. Teepa Snow has some great videos on YouTube you can watch that are very helpful, and the book The 36 Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins is a great resource as well.
I wish you all the very best.
My Husband was diagnosed at 62 and he had showed signs for quite a few years prior to that. Often people will hide signs and work around the dementia, and friends and family ignore, forgive little slip ups for sometimes up to 10 years before an official diagnosis.
To be diagnosed in the 60’s is not really “early on set”.
Testing, awareness is allowing people to be diagnosed earlier than in years past. One of the reasons might be because of drugs that might or might not work. So there is money to be made with an early diagnosis. (Sounds like my cynical side woke up early this morning!)
Here's a good article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/alzheimers/art-20048356
This week I watched an episode of a series on PBS about aging and Dementia/ALZ specifically. They highlighted a man who had the symptoms at 58, which means he had it for years prior (once you can really see the symptoms it means they've had it longer than you think).
There is a helpful book that many on this site will endorse, "The 36-hour Day". Also, Teepa Snow has very informative videos on YouTube about dementia/ALZ, what it is, why is causes our LOs to behave as they do, what to expect and how to better engage with those experiencing it.
If your mom has a spouse/partner this person now needs to consult with a professional about finances, since care is very expensive and it will most likely be years of care, even if family participates a lot. Hopefully your mom has a PoA in place and if not, a consult with an elder law attorney would be an excellent investment. May your family receive peace in hearts as you go on this journey with your mother.