If someone is showing signs of dementia, it’s important to see a medical expert who can conduct tests and come up with a diagnosis. Several, often treatable, conditions — from infections to a vitamin deficiency — can cause dementia-like symptoms, so it’s necessary to rule them out first. 

If it is dementia, you’ll want to plan how you will manage care, especially as the condition progresses.

5 warning signs of dementia

Here are some symptoms to watch for:

1. Difficulty with everyday tasks. 
Everyone makes mistakes, but people with dementia may find it increasingly difficult to do things like keep track of monthly bills or follow a recipe while cooking, the Alzheimer’s Association says. They may also find it hard to concentrate on tasks, take much longer to do them or have trouble finishing them.

2. Repetition. 
Asking a question over and over or telling the same story about a recent event multiple times are common indicators of mild or moderate Alzheimer's, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

3. Communication problems. 
Observe if a loved one has trouble joining in conversations or following along with them, stops abruptly in the middle of a thought or struggles to think of words or the name of objects.

4. Getting lost. 
People with dementia may have difficulty with visual and spatial abilities. That can manifest itself in problems like getting lost while driving, according to the Mayo Clinic.

5. Confusion about time and place. 
If someone forgets where they are or can’t remember how they got there, that's a red flag . Another worrisome sign is disorientation about time — for example, routinely forgetting what day of the week it is, says Jason Karlawish, M.D., a neurologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and codirector of the Penn Memory Center.

Some people who experience memory loss or have difficulty with attention, decision-making language or reasoning may have a condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The condition causes a noticeable decline, but the changes are less severe than with dementia and a person can still perform normal daily activities, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

People with MCI are at an increased risk of developing dementia.

Where can you find help? 

When your loved one is displaying troubling symptoms, a trip to their local GP is often the first step. But to get a definitive diagnosis, you’ll need to see a specialist such as a neurologist, geriatrician or geriatric psychiatrist.

If you can’t find one, the National Institute on Ageing recommends contacting the neurology department of a nearby medical school. Some hospitals also have clinics that focus on dementia.

Specialists will want to know about the patient’s medical history and habits (Do they exercise? Are they a smoker?) as well as their family medical history.

Recent research suggests that a prevalence among even members of your extended family can increase your dementia risk.  And modifiable factors like high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and insufficient physical activity can increase a person’s risk for dementia. 

Doctors also will conduct physical and neurological exams to rule out other treatable causes for dementia symptoms.