The Alzheimer's Association receives 30 percent more calls over the holidays, Philadelphia's Action ABC 6 news reports.
And though it may be a hard conversation to have with a loved one, not saying anything could rob a person of an early diagnosis and life-helping Alzheimer's care.
Virginia Iacovitti told the news provider her husband Nick "has always been sharp," but when he turned 65, she noticed her husband wasn't remembering things.
"Just remembering the name of an object, if he was telling me something, he couldn't quite remember what he wanted to tell me," said Iacovitti.
Not long after, Nick was diagnosed with the disease and said people should be tested because "you want to treat as early as you can because the brain will be preserved longer," according to the news report.
The Alzheimer's Association reminds people occasionally forgetting people's names and appointments is normal, as is having trouble finding the right word. However, forgetting recently learned information and substituting strange words in speech and writing can be early signs of dementia.
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