Health library

Is it Alzheimer's?

Watch for red flags

Normal forgetfulness

• Occasionally overlooking a bill.
• Misplacing things, like a phone or a set of keys, from time to time.
• Forgetting what day it is but remembering later.
• Sometimes struggling to remember a word.

Possible Alzheimer's disease

• Trouble with basic tasks like paying for a purchase or counting change.
• Putting things away in an odd place, like keys in the freezer.
• Losing track of the date or time of year.
• Trouble having a conversation.

If you're concerned about changes in memory, talk to a doctor. The problem may be caused by something other than Alzheimer's, and the right care could improve or reverse it.