22 Kids and Counting star Sue Radford was hit with a devastating revelation in a recent episode of the Channel 5 series.
The mum was unusually quiet during Sunday night’s episode, causing husband Noel to become concerned. His worries reached new heights when he found a pamphlet about early dementia in their family van, leading Sue to disclose that one of her friends had been diagnosed with the condition.
Speaking to the camera, Sue said: “Gradually her memory will get worse, it’s a reality check, it could happen to anyone and you never know what’s around the corner.” She admitted that the news had “knocked her for six.”
Dementia is most prevalent in those aged 65 and over, but it can also affect younger individuals. Young onset dementia accounts for approximately 7.5% of all dementia cases in the UK.
According to Dementia UK, around 70,800 people across the country are living with young onset dementia.
A woman whose mother started showing Alzheimer’s symptoms in her 40s has now shared the signs she observed. “If you have a loved one that is struggling with memory issues, please listen up,” she urged in a video posted on the Love Your Grief TikTok page.
“I’m going to be telling you five things that you should be watching for in your loved one that’s having memory issues.”
Struggling with familiar tasks
Love Your Grief has highlighted that “familiar tasks” becoming difficult for someone could be a red flag. These tasks might be ones they would typically perform at work or even simple activities like cleaning their kitchen or cooking meals.
“If you notice them struggling with anything that they have always done on a daily basis, it could be a warning sign,” Love Your Grief warned, noting: “They have a very hard time doing them.”
Social withdrawal
She also pointed out that social withdrawal can be a red flag, particularly in individuals who are usually extroverted. “If you feel like they are a big extrovert, they will suddenly start to feel like more of an introvert,” Love Your Grief observed.
This happened to the TikToker’s own mother, who became “very overwhelmed by big groups” and “big events.”
Communication issues
Communication issues were also mentioned as a potential indicator. “You won’t be able to have a conversation with them because their sentences will start to become very scrambled and they will have a hard time following conversations with you as well,” Love Your Grief explained.
While the NHS acknowledges that “struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word” can be a symptom of dementia, it cautions that this alone does not necessarily mean a person has the condition.
Confusion about time and place
Confusion about time and place is another concerning sign. Love Your Grief described how a loved one may lose track of the current year or season and may not remember familiar routes, such as the way home.
She shared a personal anecdote: “My mum would just go to the gym at random times and she would be upset that my dad wasn’t there. That’s because she didn’t understand the concept of time.”
Personality changes
Lastly, Love Your Grief touched upon personality and mood changes as significant indicators to watch out for.
“A big thing that is important to watch for is [a] change in personality. They may become more moody, they may become more depressed.”
“They [may] seclude themselves from social situations and not want to be around the people that they normally do. They often become very irritable and agitated with the people around them like nothing you have seen before.”
The NHS has outlined that symptoms of dementia can include confusion about time and place, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, struggling to carry out familiar daily tasks, finding it hard to follow a conversation or find the right word, and mood changes. These symptoms are consistent in individuals with early onset dementia and those who develop dementia after the age of 65.
