{"id":1395,"date":"2026-11-03T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/?p=1395"},"modified":"2026-11-03T00:34:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T00:34:48","slug":"does-my-uncle-have-dementia-what-to-notice-at-thanksgiving-and-what-to-do-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/2026\/11\/03\/does-my-uncle-have-dementia-what-to-notice-at-thanksgiving-and-what-to-do-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Does my uncle have dementia? What to notice at Thanksgiving and what to do next."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

He told the same story about the fishing trip three times before dinner was over. She got up to check on something in the kitchen and came back looking briefly lost. He couldn\u2019t follow the card game he taught you twenty years ago. You didn\u2019t say anything. Nobody did. But on the drive home, you couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holiday gatherings have a way of surfacing things that are easy to miss when you\u2019re not all in the same room. A relative who lives alone, or whose daily life you don\u2019t see up close, can seem suddenly different when you\u2019re all at the table together. You\u2019re not imagining it. And you\u2019re not wrong to wonder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this normal aging, or something more?<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Normal aging includes occasional forgetfulness. Misplacing keys, struggling for a word, forgetting an acquaintance\u2019s name \u2014 these things happen to most people and don\u2019t usually affect daily life in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dementia is different. It\u2019s a general term for problems with memory, thinking, judgment, and reasoning that interfere with everyday activities. Alzheimer\u2019s disease is the most common cause, but not the only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question isn\u2019t simply, \u201cDid they forget?\u201d It\u2019s: what has changed, how often is it happening, and what is the impact?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Occasionally missing a bill is common. Increasing difficulty managing money, understanding a bank statement, or recognizing a scam is worth paying attention to. Forgetting a word and finding it later is common. Repeatedly losing the thread of a conversation, or using unusual words for familiar things, is different. Taking longer with a recipe is one thing. No longer being able to prepare a meal they\u2019ve made for forty years is another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memory isn\u2019t the only thing to watch<\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people expect dementia to begin with memory loss. Sometimes it does. But the first changes are sometimes in behavior, judgment, or mood. Someone may become more suspicious, anxious, or irritable than usual. They may stop initiating things they used to enjoy, or seem overwhelmed by situations they always handled comfortably. They may make out-of-character decisions, miss familiar safety steps, or become more vulnerable to scams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before drawing conclusions, notice the context. Is the room noisy? Has the routine changed? Are they tired, unwell, or struggling to hear the conversation? These details matter, and they\u2019re useful to have when you speak to a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holidays can reveal things, but they\u2019re not a clinical test<\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A holiday gathering is busy, loud, and emotionally charged. Travel, unfamiliar surroundings, a later bedtime, alcohol, and a crowded room can make anyone seem more confused or withdrawn than usual. One off day doesn\u2019t tell you much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But relatives who don\u2019t see each other often sometimes notice a change that a daily caregiver has gradually adapted to. A familiar tradition can reveal that someone is struggling with something they used to do easily. That\u2019s worth taking seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is reasonable to notice these things. It is not helpful to turn the day into an investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t quiz a loved one in front of the family. \u201cWhat year is it?\u201d or \u201cDo you remember who this is?\u201d creates embarrassment without giving you useful information. Don\u2019t argue about what they said, force a correction, or treat one unusual moment as a verdict. Pay attention to specific examples instead: did they repeat a question several times? Did they seem confused about where they were? Did they struggle with something that used to come naturally? Did it feel new?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to do after the gathering<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the concern stays with you, talk privately with one or two family members who were there. Compare what each person noticed. You\u2019re not building a case, you\u2019re trying to figure out whether a medical conversation would be helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write down a few specifics: when you first noticed something, how often it seems to happen, whether it\u2019s getting worse. Note any recent illness, medication changes, sleep problems, falls, or changes in mood. Bring that to a primary care clinician. A good evaluation looks at the whole picture: medications, physical health, mood, cognitive function, and checks for treatable causes like vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, or depression before assuming anything larger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One important exception: sudden confusion needs prompt attention. A change that develops over hours or days can be delirium, often temporary and treatable, but sometimes a sign of infection, dehydration, or another acute issue. So don\u2019t wait on that one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The point isn\u2019t to diagnose anyone over turkey<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s to take meaningful changes seriously, especially when they\u2019re new, repeated, and affecting everyday life. Noticing something isn\u2019t the same as overreacting. Asking for help isn\u2019t taking something away from someone you love. It\u2019s making sure they have the right support while they can still be part of the decisions that affect their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2500\u2500\u2500<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lizzy Care is here to help families navigate the changes that come with dementia, from early concerns to everyday care decisions. Click \u201c<\/em> Get Started<\/em><\/a> \u201d for a free consultation or visit<\/em> hilizzy.com\/guide\/check\/<\/em><\/a> to see if your family may be eligible for free support through Medicare.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is for general education and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Contact a qualified healthcare professional for new, sudden, or concerning symptoms<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He told the same story about the fishing trip three times before dinner was over. She got up to check on something in the kitchen and came back looking briefly lost. He couldn\u2019t follow the card game he taught you twenty years ago. You didn\u2019t say anything. Nobody did. But on the drive home, you […]<\/p>\n

Read More… from Does my uncle have dementia? What to notice at Thanksgiving and what to do next.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":1402,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3,197,10,194,19],"tags":[85,66,65,92,146,56,229],"class_list":["post-1395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dementia","category-alzheimers","category-diagnosis","category-early-intervention","category-family","category-support","tag-behavior","tag-caregiver","tag-caregiving","tag-communication","tag-denial-and-dementia","tag-memory","tag-risk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1395"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1399,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1395\/revisions\/1399"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lizzycare.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}