Last week, an 80-year-old Lowndes County woman was reported missing, driving away from home in a red Jeep Liberty. She was stopped the next morning in Worth County, having driven all night. 

The message about her disappearance was sent out quickly, and she was found safe and sound by a Georgia Highway Patrol officer and reunited with her family.

This could be a case in which the early signs of dementia may be difficult for family members to recognize. If anyone has any suspicions about if whether a family member may or may not have Alzheimer's or dementia, he or she may call the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900. This Helpline is staffed with trained counselors and the local office in Tifton will follow up.

"When my mother began exhibiting the early signs of dementia, I dismissed it as normal signs of aging," said Bonnie Sayles, the South Georgia regional director of programs and services. "Now, I know there is a difference."

Learn the difference between normal signs of aging and true dementia through the Alzheimer's Association's Know the 10 Signs:

• Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
• Challenges in planning or solving problems.
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.
• Confusion with time or place.
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships -- For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving.
• New problems with words in speaking or writing.
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
• Decreased or poor judgment.
• Withdrawal from work or social activities.
• Changes in mood and personality.

What do you do if you suspect dementia and need your loved one to stop driving? Click Here!

The Alzheimer's Association, Georgia Chapter, can help you learn how to have conversations about not driving with your loved ones with early dementia. Call 1-800-272-3900.

 

THE 'ULTIMATE BEATLES EXPERIENCE'

"The Return," the ultimate Beatles experience, will headline the Tift County Public Library Foundation's annual fundraising dinner and show on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center.