Dementia, the silent “memory thief,” has a light footprint but carries warning signs that cannot be ignored. First, let's focus on the subtle but profound changes in mood. If a once gentle family member suddenly becomes irritable or unusually silent, the ups and downs of this mood are no longer the small waves of everyday life, but like the undercurrents of the sea, which are unpredictable and often difficult to detect immediately. Warm conversations between families can be overshadowed by these inadvertent mood swings.

In this age of rapid change, learning new skills and mastering new equipment should be enjoyable. However, for people with dementia, this simple pleasure becomes incredibly burdensome. They try hard, following the instructions step by step, but it's as if they're in a fog and can't find their way forward. The buttons of a new appliance are no longer simply pressed, but become insurmountable obstacles; the mastery of a new skill is like climbing a dangerous mountain, and every step is full of difficulties. This learning difficulty is not only a lack of skills but also evidence of a gradual decline in cognitive functioning.

If your partner tells you they're going out for the night and you turn around and forget when they're coming back, it might be a minor hiccup in everyday life. But if you suffer from dementia, it's a different story. A cosy conversation from five or ten minutes ago instantly dissipates into memory. A person with dementia may have just listened to his or her partner's instructions, and in a split second, forget them. And then unconsciously ask the same questions over and over again. This repetitive questioning is a clear indication of how dementia affects memory.

Sometimes careless people rush to work, in a hurry, and in their haste, they forget to take something with them, forget their umbrella, their glass of water, it's quite normal, just like the brain has occasional desertion. But in the case of dementia, it's like playing “hide and seek” with the contents of the house. For example, when the car keys should be on the key chain, they sneak off to the cupboard for a vacation. This unexpected arrangement, which would seem unbelievable to the average person, maybe a daily hiccup in the world of our friends with dementia.

As we get older, managing our daily affairs is like playing an increasingly complex jigsaw puzzle. At each age, the game becomes a little more difficult and requires more time and patience. But if you're suffering from dementia, it's like a jigsaw puzzle that's suddenly become very confusing, with many of the pieces out of their original places and some even missing, making it hard to find the headspace to complete the game. Understanding your “normal” state is like recognizing the basic pattern of your puzzle. If you've never been very good at the game, or have always struggled in certain areas, you'll probably still have the same problems as you get older. So it's important to recognize your limitations and find ways to deal with them that work for you.

Dementia, like a quiet visitor, quietly changes the rhythm and colour of people's lives. It has turned memory into a dream that cannot be grasped. Yesterday's events are forgotten in an instant, like sand in the hand, the harder you hold it, the faster it drains away. Everyday chores, such as managing finances and paying bills, tasks that were once taken for granted, now become like a maze of adventure, leaving people lost and at a loss.

People with dementia, whose world seems to be shrouded in a mist, find it difficult to see the path ahead. They may ask the same questions over and over again and place objects in illogical places. These seemingly minor behaviours are clear signs of a gradual decline in brain function.

In the face of dementia, we should pay more attention to those subtle changes and understand and respect the feelings of the patient. Dementia patients often ask the same questions over and over again within a short period, which is not only a helpless struggle for their memory but also a great test of patience for their family members. Mood swings and instability are an added burden for the patient and his or her family. Dementia is a unique condition that requires our understanding and care so that love and understanding can be their strongest support.

（Writer：Cily）