Holiday visits are often the first time in months that adult children spend several full days with Mom or Dad. That extra time can reveal early signs of dementia in parents that phone calls and quick visits hide: repeated questions, unopened bills, a favorite recipe that suddenly goes wrong. This November, during National Family Caregivers Month, here is how families in Ellicott City and across Howard County can tell normal aging from memory changes worth a closer look, and what to do next.
The short answer: Occasional forgetfulness is a normal part of aging. Memory changes that disrupt daily life, such as getting lost on familiar roads, losing track of the date or season, or struggling to manage money, are not. If you see a pattern of these changes during your visit, write down what you noticed and encourage your parent to see their doctor. Many causes of memory trouble, including medication side effects and low vitamin B12, are treatable, so an early checkup matters.
Why Do Holiday Visits Reveal Memory Changes?
During a 10-minute phone call, a parent can lean on familiar phrases and routines. Over a long weekend at home in Ellicott City or Columbia, you see the whole day: how meals get made, whether the mail gets opened, and how your parent handles a busy house full of guests.
The holidays also add stress and break routines, which can make existing memory problems easier to spot. That is useful information, but one rough afternoon is not a diagnosis. Look for patterns rather than single moments.
These changes are common. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in 2026, and nearly 13 million Americans provide unpaid care for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia.
What Are the Early Signs of Dementia in Parents?
The Alzheimer's Association's 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's make a helpful checklist. Here is how several of them tend to show up during a holiday visit.
Memory and Conversation
- Asking the same question several times in one afternoon, such as when guests are arriving.
- Forgetting a recent event, like news you shared on the phone last week.
- Often losing a word mid-sentence or calling familiar objects by the wrong name.
- Struggling to follow the conversation at a crowded dinner table.
Familiar Tasks and Planning
- Difficulty making a dish they have cooked for decades.
- Unopened mail, overdue notices, or unusual purchases piling up.
- New confusion with the TV remote, thermostat, or phone.
Time, Place, and Judgment
- Losing track of the date, the season, or which holiday is coming.
- Getting turned around while driving to a familiar store or to a relative's home in Catonsville, for example.
- Expired food in the refrigerator, missed medications, or a stove left on.
Mood and Personality
- Pulling back from friends, clubs, or a faith community they used to see every week.
- New irritability, anxiety, or suspicion, especially when plans change.
- Seeming quiet and withdrawn at gatherings they once led.
How Can You Tell Normal Aging From Dementia?
The National Institute on Aging explains that dementia is not a normal part of aging. The key question is whether a change disrupts daily life.
|
Typically normal aging |
Worth a closer look |
|---|---|
|
Misplacing glasses now and then, then retracing steps to find them |
Often unable to find things, or putting them in unusual places |
|
Forgetting a bill payment once |
Trouble managing monthly bills |
|
Taking longer to recall a word |
Frequent trouble following or joining a conversation |
|
Briefly mixing up the day of the week |
Losing track of the date or season |
|
An occasional bad decision |
Frequent poor judgment |
Memory problems can also have other causes. NIA lists medication side effects, thyroid, kidney, or liver problems, depression or anxiety, sleep problems, and low vitamin B12 among the factors that can affect memory. Many improve with treatment, which is one more reason to involve a doctor early.
What Should You Do If You Notice Memory Changes This Holiday Season?
- Write down what you see. Note specific examples with dates. "Asked three times what time dinner was" is more useful to a doctor than "seems forgetful."
- Compare notes with siblings and relatives. Someone who visits weekly may have seen gradual changes you missed. If you live out of town, our post on navigating senior care when you live out of state covers how to stay coordinated.
- Choose a calm moment to talk. Skip the crowded dinner table. Use "I" statements, like "I noticed the bills seemed stressful, and I'd like to help."
- Encourage a medical checkup. Offer to schedule the appointment or go along. NIA advises seeing a doctor when memory changes last more than a few weeks or include repeated questions, getting lost in familiar places, or neglecting self-care.
- Check on safety basics. Look at medications, driving, the stove, and whether regular meals are happening. Our guide to dementia medication management at home explains what to watch for.
- Tap local resources. The Howard County Office on Aging and Independence offers dementia education, caregiver resources, and a therapeutic social day program for older adults.
How Can In-Home Care Help Families in Ellicott City and Howard County?
Spotting early signs of dementia in parents does not mean your loved one has to leave home. Many families start with a few hours of help each week and add more as needs grow. At Homewatch CareGivers of Ellicott City, our dementia and Alzheimer's care begins with a careful assessment of your loved one's condition, and the care plan can be adjusted as needs change.
Depending on what you noticed over the holidays, support might include:
- Personal care such as medication reminders, meal planning and preparation, grooming, and light housekeeping.
- Companionship and help with errands that keep your parent engaged between family visits.
- Respite care that gives a spouse or local family caregiver regular time to rest and recharge.
We serve families in Ellicott City, Columbia, Catonsville, Elkridge, Sykesville, and nearby Howard County communities. If your family is gathering with a loved one who already has a diagnosis, these tips on keeping the holidays joyful when a loved one has dementia can help.
Turning What You Noticed Into a Plan
This year's National Family Caregivers Month theme is "Care Connects Us," and the holidays are often when that connection shows families what a parent needs. If you noticed early signs of dementia in parents or other loved ones this season, a plan is the most useful next step. It helps to plan for your own well-being as well; this look at what Alzheimer's caregiver support really looks like is a good place to start.
Homewatch CareGivers of Ellicott City can talk through what you saw and what support at home could look like for your family. Contact us today or call (410) 941-3239 to schedule an intro call.