'I was diagnosed with dementia at 41 after strange thing happened while watching movie'

In today's world, with a seemingly-endless range of streaming options and the ever-present distraction of smartphones and tablets, it's not uncommon to momentarily lose track of whether you've already watched a particular film or TV series.

However, for one Australian dad, this brief lapse in memory was an early warning sign of something more serious. On his YouTube channel, I Don't Have Dementia, Fraser recalled: "I was sitting down to watch a movie once and my partner's gone, 'yeah, we watched that like a month ago'."

"Anyway, I watched the whole movie, and the ending was still a complete surprise." It was after this incident that he realised there might be an underlying issue.

Fraser spoke candidly about other instances of forgetfulness and describes experiencing "brain fog" that started to significantly affect his daily life. He continued: "It's sometimes hard just to think straight or to it just feels like a fog comes over your brain and you just can't really focus on things very well."

He had been aware of these symptoms for a couple of years, but it wasn't until eight months prior, at 41 years old, that Fraser was formally diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

The growing frequency of these memory lapses is having a tangible effect on Fraser's life, including causing distress when he forgot his teenage daughter's plans.

"I remember my daughter had told me numerous times throughout the day that she was going to the movies that night and would be quite late," Fraser recalled. "But it came to nighttime and I started freaking out, thinking 'Where's my daughter?'"

She had told him that she was going to the cinema, but a few hours later Fraser had completely forgotten, adding: "I was genuinely freaking out ...it got to a point where I was about to ring the police.

"It was then, of course, that his daughter walked out of the cinema and called him.Fraser has learned to work around many of the effects of his dementia by using his phone's calendar to help him remember his – and his family's – schedule.

While we associate dementia with the elderly, as Fraser explained, the condition can strike at any age.

Dr. Natali Edmonds from Dementia Careblazers lists 10 key symptoms to watch out for, although, she stresses: "It is possible that somebody could have one of these warning signs and it is not dementia. That's why getting a thorough workup and evaluation is important."'

1) Memory loss

The first, and perhaps most obvious sign of dementia is memory loss. But it's not simply forgetting an appointment, or why you went into a particular room.

"Specifically, it's going to be memory loss for important information or learned information they have known for a long, long time," Natalie says. She notes that although everyone experiences minor memory lapses, if someone consistently forgets significant or well-known information, they should see a healthcare professional.

2) Problem-solving difficulties

According to Natali, struggling with daily tasks is another major warning sign. She explains: "I would be looking at things like paying the bills or managing the bills, being able to follow favorite recipes, even keeping up with medications, and when to take them. "

However, she emphasises that while losing the ability to manage household bills can be a warning sign, some individuals may have always been somewhat disorganised, so it's not a huge concern in itself.

3) Forgetting the rules

Natali says that forgetting the rules of a game or other activity that the person has been involved in for many years is a significant concern. She continues: “Maybe from time to time are forgetting certain rules of the game. That could be a sign.

“Or, maybe they often drive to a familiar location, but every now and then they're starting to show a little bit of difficulty remembering how to get to that familiar location.

“It's not like they're out there getting lost, but maybe they took a wrong turn or two.”

4) Time and space confusion

When dementia is well-established it’s easy to spot when the patient has become confused about what year it is, or where they are, but Natali says there are subtler signs early in the condition’s progress.

Losing track of time – or where they are at any given moment – is a classic warning sign.

For example, she says, if you notice a loved one regularly saying that they’ve lost track of what year, or even what season it is, that could be a sign that something’s amiss. It's these little tiny slip-ups that so easily can be covered up…but that could be a possible early warning sign of dementia.

5) Spatial trouble

Spatial difficulties are another major red flag, according to Natali. She explains: "Maybe the person seems to be a bit more clumsy. Maybe they're tripping up or down stairs, or bumping into things a little bit more."

She adds that while we all have minor memory lapses from time to time, if someone's forgetting important or well-established information that's a sign that they should consult a healthcare professional.

6) Problems with language

Language problems can also be indicative. If someone starts a conversation normally but then loses their train of thought or trails off, this warrants further investigation.

7) Losing things

Misplacing items is common, but losing the ability to retrace our steps and locate these items is a significant concern, says Natalie. She elaborates: "Often-times an early warning sign for dementia would be that they are not able to retrace their steps – they just forgot."

8: Poor judgement

He continues: "Poor judgement is another symptom. In many instances, individuals with dementia can be more susceptible to scams. They might be less cautious with their personal information than they should be."

However, Natali warns that it's becoming increasingly challenging to identify scams, even for those without dementia. She notes: "The scammers are getting really good and it's hard to tell the difference."

9) Social isolation

As we age, social isolation can become a problem as we may lose touch with friends or find our interest in physical activities such as sports diminishing. It becomes more difficult to engage in activities like hiking or even walking to the pub.

Natali emphasises that losing the desire to go out is "a really big early warning sign indicator, something we want to take seriously is if we notice our loved ones withdrawing".

10) Changing personality

Another alarming sign of dementia is changes in personality. If an individual appears to be quicker to anger than before, or seems less outgoing, it's certainly cause for concern.

Natali explains: "It's easy to attribute a lot of this to just normal aging ...but we need to take these things seriously."

However, she also stresses that any of these symptoms in isolation could be related to another condition or simply normal signs of ageing. Therefore, it's always crucial to consult your doctor if you have any concerns.