The short answer
The early signs of dementia are rarely dramatic. They are small, repeated changes in someone you know well: a story told twice in an afternoon, a bill left unopened, a familiar recipe going wrong, a person who has quietly stopped going to the group they never used to miss.
One of these on its own means very little. What matters is the pattern - several changes, in the same person, becoming more noticeable over months, and beginning to affect ordinary life. That pattern is worth a GP appointment. It is not a diagnosis, and plenty of people who present with it turn out to have something else entirely.
Ten early signs families notice first
- 01Repetition - the same question or story within a single conversation, not just across a week.
- 02Recent events lost while old ones stay sharp.
- 03Word-finding pauses, with vague substitutes standing in for specific nouns.
- 04Multi-step tasks going wrong - a long-familiar recipe, the washing machine, a form.
- 05Money slipping - unopened post, unpaid bills, confusion over change or unusual spending.
- 06Withdrawal from clubs, church, hobbies or friends, often explained away as not fancying it.
- 07Misplacing things in odd places, with no recollection of putting them there.
- 08Getting turned around on a familiar route, or hesitating over a journey done for years.
- 09Mood or personality changes - anxiety, suspicion, irritability or flatness out of character.
- 10Doing less at home: skipped meals, a colder house, laundry piling up, less attention to appearance.
Our fuller dementia symptoms guide groups these by what they affect - memory, language, planning, mood, perception and physical changes - if you want more detail on any one of them.
Early signs, or ordinary ageing?
| Ordinary ageing | Worth a GP appointment |
|---|---|
| Losing a name and finding it later | Losing the names of close family, repeatedly |
| Forgetting where the keys are | Finding the keys in the fridge, with no memory of it |
| Needing a moment with a new gadget | Unable to use an appliance used daily for years |
| Missing an appointment occasionally | Missing several, or arriving on the wrong day |
| Being tired of a long-standing hobby | Quietly dropping every social commitment |
| Taking longer over a decision | Judgement that puts safety or money at risk |
This is a prompt for a conversation with a GP, not a test. Only a clinician can tell you what is behind any of it.
Raising it with someone who does not want it raised
Most families put this off, and the reason is usually kindness rather than avoidance. It helps to remember that the person has almost certainly noticed something themselves and may be frightened, tired of covering for it, or both.
- 01
Pick the moment, not the confrontation
A quiet afternoon, one person, no audience. Not at the end of a difficult day and not in front of the whole family at Christmas.
- 02
Lead with the specific, not the label
Talk about the bills, the missed appointment or the tiredness. Avoid opening with the word dementia; it closes the conversation before it starts.
- 03
Make it a joint errand
Ask the GP to check a few things - bloods, thyroid, vitamins, the current medication list. Most people accept that far more readily than a memory assessment.
- 04
Offer to go along
Two people remember more of the appointment than one. If they refuse, you can still tell the practice what you have noticed; they can add it to the record even if they cannot discuss the person with you.
- 05
Do not force it in one go
If the answer is no, leave it and come back. Unless there is a safety risk - driving, the cooker, wandering, money being taken advantage of - in which case do not wait.
How a memory assessment works in Scotland
- 01
The GP appointment
History from the person and, ideally, from someone who knows them well. Blood tests and a medication review to rule out treatable causes, plus a short thinking and memory assessment.
- 02
Referral to a memory clinic
If the picture warrants it, the GP refers on to the memory service within your NHS board. Waiting times vary considerably around Scotland, so ask what to expect locally.
- 03
Assessment and, sometimes, a scan
More detailed testing, and in some cases a brain scan, to work out what is causing the symptoms and which type of dementia is involved if that is the conclusion.
- 04
Post-diagnostic support
In Scotland, everyone newly diagnosed is entitled to a period of post-diagnostic support, usually through an Alzheimer Scotland link worker: help with understanding the diagnosis, planning, peer support and future care decisions.
If a diagnosis follows, our guide to the stages of dementia explains what families tend to notice over time, and choosing a dementia care home in Scotland covers that decision when and if it comes.
Practical things that help while you wait
- Get power of attorney sorted now, while the person can take part in the decision
- Book a hearing and sight test - both untreated make thinking and confusion measurably worse
- Keep routines and social contact going rather than winding them down
- Simplify the home a little: better lighting, fewer trip hazards, a clear large-face clock
- Ask the pharmacy for a full medication review
- Look after the person doing the noticing - carer exhaustion arrives long before anyone names it