Dad newly diagnosed

Jary · April 6

hello everyone! My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last September 2025. He’s still very functional on his own, but I’m definitely noticing changes. One big question I have is is it common for people with Alzheimer’s to withdraw socially? My dad has never been one to be outgoing at family events but lately he leaves within a half an hour of coming. For example, yesterday at Easter, he came for a little bit, sat by himself and then left without even eating. He says he just doesn’t like the attention. It breaks my heart and I’m wondering if this is something to do with his Alzheimer’s?

sandwichone123 · April 6

Hi and welcome! It's pretty common that being around more than 1 or 2 people can become too complex and overwhelming. Sometimes it can work for the person with dementia (pwd) to be in a place apart like a bedroom or outside, while people come and visit with them briefly individually.

SDianeL · April 6

it’s very common. For them to withdraw. It’s due to anxiety and not being able to process conversations. Also a word of warning. If he lives alone he may not be functioning well on his own. Unless you’re with him 24/7 you may not see the decline. PWD can showtime for brief periods and appear almost normal. If he’s driving I would stop him. He is also vulnerable for scams and it may not be safe for him to live alone. He may not know what to do in an emergency.

pamu · April 6

He may have a hard time processing conversations and his surroundings so he doesn't enjoy get-togethers. Another thing can contribute to cognitive decline in dementia patients is hearing loss. I've only read about that recently, but it makes sense. We had my mom's hearing checked around the time she was first diagnosed 8 years ago with AD because she had Ramsey Hunt Syndrome and it affected her hearing and sight. She has permanent full loss of hearing in one ear. My FIL (without dementia) was almost completely deaf and excused himself from family functions all of the time. We would each take turns sitting with him one on one.

H1235 · April 6

Welcome. Yes this is very with dementia. Multiple conversations at one time is overwhelming and confusing. I agree with SDianeL. A person diagnosed with dementia and living alone and possibly driving is sketchy even if they are in the early stages. Mom told us she was able to do her own laundry, but when I visited I noticed she had run the washer without putting clothes in. When I pointed it out she restarted the washer and did the same thing. When we moved my mil out of her apartment into Al we discovered she had no towels in her kitchen??? I took my mom to the dentist every 6 months and she got a new toothbrush. When I mover her out of Al discovered she probably hadn’t changed her toothbrush in 2 years. There are so many little things you don’t really think about. Anosognosia is also common with dementia. It is the inability of the person with dementia to recognize their own symptoms or limitations (this is not denial). This means he will probably never tell you (may even fight you) when it’s time for more care or to give up diving. Someone here said that if there is a medical diagnosis of dementia on record the insurance may refuse to pay and it could cause all kind of problems. I’m sorry I know these are not topics you brought up, but they are so important. I will add a few helpful attachments just in case you haven’t seen them yet.

Anosognosia and Dementia - AgingCare.com.pdf

DBAT.pdf

understanding-the-dementia-experience.pdf