Sign 2: Difficulty Planning or Solving Problems – A Subtle Manifestation of Cognitive Decline
The second sign involves facing issues with planning or solving problems, typically seen as difficulties in following a familiar plan or working with numbers. This doesn’t pertain to occasional confusion or making rare mistakes; it’s about the persistent struggle with tasks that involve organization or concentration.
For instance, individuals may start having trouble following recipes they previously knew by heart. It’s not about making a one-off error in measurement or skipping a step accidentally. Instead, the person might be unable to follow through the recipe, getting confused by the steps, or feeling overwhelmed by the task.
Similarly, they might face difficulties with financial management. This could show up as challenges in maintaining monthly bills or handling financial transactions. It’s not about the occasional miscalculation; it’s about consistent struggles with tasks involving numbers, even those previously done with ease.
Individuals might also experience noticeable changes in concentration levels. They may take much longer to complete tasks that were previously done swiftly, not due to physical constraints, but because of the inability to concentrate. This isn’t just about distractions; it’s about having consistent troubles in focusing on tasks, leading to an increase in the time taken to complete them.
The key here is to look for changes in a person’s ability to carry out tasks that require planning or problem-solving, tasks that were previously done with relative ease. It’s not about an isolated incident but a pattern of consistent struggle, disrupting the person’s ability to handle daily tasks effectively.
The nuance lies in the change from how the individual used to handle these tasks compared to their current ability. This isn’t about a single episode of confusion but a continuous pattern, where the person consistently finds these tasks harder to handle than before. A significant shift in this aspect could be indicative of early dementia. (2)
