Lunch Time!!. Elderly father refusing don't want to eat and medication at home.
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One-third of individuals who noticed dementia symptoms in themselves or a loved one kept their observations to themselves for more than a month, according to a new survey.

The Great Britain-based Alzheimer’s Society surveyed 1,137 adults and found that only 15% of respondents said they spoke up about dementia fears right away. 

The top reason cited by 64% of respondents for remaining silent was confusion over whether the symptoms were due simply to getting older. And 44% said they were worried that they or a loved one would be talked down to or treated like a child if dementia were diagnosed. Other reasons cited were not wanting to worry a loved one (33%) and concern over how a dementia diagnosis would affect relationships (16%). 

The Alzheimer’s Society estimated that 11% of people who detected dementia in themselves or a loved one still had not spoken to anyone about it, whereas 23% waited longer than six months before consulting a medical professional. The survey was conducted March 30 to April 4 and included individuals aged up to 85 years with suspected or diagnosed dementia in themselves or a loved one. 

The United States faces a similar challenge, suggests the 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures annual report from the Alzheimer’s Association. It says that 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, but only four in 10 Americans talk to their physician right away when experiencing early memory or cognitive loss.

Thirty-four percent of US assisted living residents had Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia as of 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Support for clinical trial research and improved COVID-19 testing in assisted living communities was part of the 2022 update to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, released in December.