For those of you who are or have loved ones diagnosed with this, what were the symptoms and how fast did they progress with the dementia. My mom is 88 and will be 89 next month. She was diagnosed this past June. Although it might have been sooner, we don't know.
Losing things seems to be a big one, not being able to focus, letting bills go unpaid or paying late, ignoring checkbooks & banking, bad checks, lost when driving in day to known places, rages, letting house/apt. go: not cleaning, not taking out old food, eating out of date food, burnt pans, etc., any hygiene they normally practiced but now don't do.
It's not hard, but you need to use your keen eyes (a little snoopy, but you have to do it) to really see what's going on (or what's not going on) and your keen ears to listen and really hear what's being said or not said.
Sometimes a cry for help comes in different ways than we expect in what a person says or doesn't say and could be through what we see. If we're listening good (and looking), we hear (or see) it and act.
I have read that many people have hidden signs for as long as 10 years before they are actually diagnosed. If you think about all the "little things" that just did not seem right or just a bit off the picture comes into focus.
My Husband was in his early 60's when diagnosed and died 12 years later.