🧭The 10 Warning Signs + Subtype Clues — Notice and Name
If you see any of these — and they're new, persistent, or worsening over months — write it down and bring it to a clinician for a memory evaluation. These are not normal aging. They are not an emergency like stroke (no 911) — they are a signal to schedule, not to wait. Different subtypes show different early signs — Alzheimer's typically starts with recent memory; Lewy body often starts with visual hallucinations + parkinsonism + REM sleep behavior; frontotemporal often starts with personality / language change; vascular dementia often progresses stepwise after TIAs/strokes.
Source: Alzheimer's Association · 10 Early Signs · Lancet Dementia Commission 2024 · NIH NIA Dementia Subtype Pages.
"Notice and Name" (FFH Ambassador practice): write the change, the date, and a one-line example. Three notes over six weeks = a clinician conversation. Sudden change (hours–days) = think delirium, infection, stroke — that is a 911 / urgent-care moment.
🎯Three Phases · One Force Field
Every square belongs to one of three phases of mastery. Inside each square's detail panel, the four sections — Concepts · Skills · Actions · Plan — are the building blocks of these phases.
📘 Learn It Tier 1 · Aware
Identity earned: Self-Advocate. The "know" — the 10 warning signs, MCI vs Alzheimer's, your risk factors, the FINGER bundle, what the meds do.
🛠 Live It Tier 2 · Active
Identity earned: Care-Team Member. The "do" — daily routines (sleep, movement, hearing aids, vascular numbers, med adherence) that turn skills into habits.
📣 Share It Tier 3 · Certified
Identity earned: Ambassador. The "carry forward" — Notice and Name early changes in family, mentor a fellow caregiver, advocate in your community.
🛡️Your Force Field — 16 Squares
Click any square to open its detail panel. Each square is a tile in your shield. Keep clicking, learning, and acting — your Force Field gets stronger every step.
What Is Dementia?
An umbrella term for progressive cognitive decline that interferes with daily life. The most common subtypes: Alzheimer's (~60–80%), Vascular, Lewy body (DLB), Frontotemporal (FTD), and Mixed (Alzheimer's + vascular — actually the most common pattern in older adults).
Primer360 Human Anatomy
Memory & Cognition
Hippocampus = new memory · frontal lobe = planning + personality · parietal = spatial navigation · temporal = language · cortex + small vessels everywhere. Where the damage sits decides which function fades first — and that pattern often points to the subtype.
AnatomyWho Gets It?
~7M Americans with Alzheimer's; total dementia burden higher when all subtypes are counted. ~1 in 9 over 65. Women carry ~2/3 of cases. Black Americans ~2×, Hispanic Americans ~1.5× the risk of non-Hispanic white Americans — vascular cluster drives much of the disparity.
PrimerThe Numbers
~7M cases (Alzheimer's alone) · projected ~13M by 2050 · 5th-leading cause of death age 65+ · ~$360B/year direct cost + ~$350B/year unpaid family care. ~40% of dementia cases are linked to 14 modifiable risk factors (Lancet Commission 2024).
PrimerSubtype Differential — Plain-Language Signs
Alzheimer's: recent memory first. Vascular: stepwise after TIAs/strokes; gait + executive trouble. Lewy body (DLB): visual hallucinations + parkinsonism + REM sleep behavior. Frontotemporal (FTD): personality / language change earlier than memory. Mixed: Alzheimer's + vascular together.
Learn ItStaging — Mild · Moderate · Severe
Stages run from MCI (noticeable change, daily life mostly OK) → mild dementia (interferes with daily life) → moderate (needs help with most ADLs) → severe (full assistance). Staging tools: GDS / FAST / CDR. Plain-language screens: Mini-Cog, MoCA.
Learn ItKnow My Numbers & Risks
BP <130/80 · A1c <7% if diabetes · LDL to goal · sleep quality / OSA screened · hearing tested + aids if loss · depression screened · social connection real. Vascular cluster control protects against every subtype.
Learn ItFINGER Lifestyle Bundle
Food (Mediterranean / DASH-MIND) · Intellect (cognitive engagement) · Networks (social connection) · Gait (regular movement) · Ears + eyes (hearing aids, vision) · Rest + risk (sleep, BP/A1c/LDL). Stack the levers — works across subtypes.
Learn ItMedications + Behavioral Care (BPSD)
Subtype-specific: Alzheimer's uses cholinesterase inhibitors + memantine; selected candidates may use lecanemab / donanemab (real ARIA risk). DLB is sensitive to antipsychotics — cautious. FTD often needs SSRI for behavior. Vascular: tighten BP/lipids/glucose. BPSD: non-drug strategies first.
Live ItCare Team — with Strong Care Navigator
Primary care · neurology / cognitive neurology / memory clinic · geriatric psychiatry · neuropsychology · social work / care navigator (GUIDE Model — extra emphasis given the longer trajectory) · pharmacist · behavioral health · Alzheimer's Association peer mentor · home care · hospice when appropriate.
Live ItSafety Planning Checklist
Driving (formal evaluation when warning signs appear) · Medications (smart dispenser + care-partner check) · Wandering (GPS wearable + MedicAlert + Alzheimer's Association safe-return) · Hot stove / cooking (timer, supervised, simplified) · Firearms (locked, ammo separate). Plan early.
TechInsurance, Care & Cost
Medicare covers eval, cognitive assessment, GUIDE Model dementia care navigation, and many meds. Long-term care = mostly out-of-pocket or Medicaid. FMLA + ADA at work. POA, healthcare proxy, advance directive, POLST: do them early, while capacity is clear.
Live ItEquity & the Cluster Connection
Black Americans ~2× and Hispanic Americans ~1.5× the Alzheimer's risk of non-Hispanic white Americans — and disparity in vascular dementia is at least as large. The same SCD + HTN + T2D + OSA + Stroke/TIA cluster that produces stroke also drives the chronic cognitive arc. Same input cluster, second outcome.
Share ItTeach Notice and Name
The person most likely to spot dementia early is a family member, spouse, or grandchild. Teach the 10 warning signs + the subtype clues to your kids, grandkids, faith community, employer. The high-school grandparent observation case is gold.
Share ItShare Insights with Clinicians
People living with dementia and their care partners are the best teachers. Share a "what worked / what didn't" letter with your memory team. Speak at grand rounds. Help train PCPs, social workers, ED staff in dementia-aware care across all subtypes.
Share ItJoin the ROI Study
PHIT — Population Health Impact Tracking. Aggregate & anonymous. Help prove this program delays diagnosis-to-decline time, reduces ED visits, supports caregivers, and slows progression across the dementia umbrella.
Study🩺 Hand-off to my Memory Care Team
Print and bring to your next visit. This page tells your team what you (and your care partner) have prepared for, what you want to focus on, and how you would like to participate as an active member of your own care team.
- I am a Prepared Patient in training for the Dementia umbrella (subtype: [Alzheimer's / Vascular / Lewy body / Frontotemporal / Mixed / Not yet specified]). I have reviewed all 16 squares of this Force Field Fact Sheet.
- I have started building my Health Passport, my "Notice and Name" log of changes I (or my family) have observed, my FINGER lifestyle weekly tracker, and my medication list to bring to every visit.
- I want to teach back what I have learned and have you correct anything I have misunderstood — especially around my MCI vs Alzheimer's status, my BP / A1c / LDL goals, my hearing and sleep status, my medication choices (cholinesterase inhibitor / memantine / monoclonal candidacy), and the warning signs that should trigger an unscheduled call.
What helps my visit
Two minutes for me to teach back. One question I prepared. My care partner present (with my permission). My "Notice and Name" log. My med list. Confirm goals on the chart.
What I am working on
FINGER bundle (food, intellect, networks, gait, ears+eyes, rest+risk) · vascular numbers to goal · medication adherence · social and cognitive engagement · advance care planning · my family knowing the 10 warning signs.
How I want to participate
Shared decisions while my capacity is clear. Care partner included with my consent. Tell me your top 1–2 priorities so we agree. Use the AHRQ SHARE Approach. Help me see my numbers, not just my prescription.
🔬 Help Prove This Works — Join the FFH ROI & PHIT Study
The Prepared Patient program is being studied to see whether better preparation actually delays time-to-decline, reduces ED visits and hospital readmissions, supports caregiver wellbeing, and lowers total cost of care — for you and for the people in your circle of influence. Your participation is voluntary, your data is aggregated and anonymized, and you can withdraw at any time.
➕ Add-On Force Field Card · Device or Skill Mastery
If your care plan adds a device or new skill, bolt on a 5-step Add-On Card. For Alzheimer's common bolt-ons include: medication-reminder app or smart pill dispenser, GPS / wandering-alert wearable, hearing aids (and the daily routine to wear them), home BP cuff (validated upper-arm), CPAP onboarding (if OSA), Mediterranean / DASH-MIND meal plan, weekly walking program, calendar/labels/reminders system at home, MyChart access for the care partner.
Introduce
What it is, why it matters, what it does
Coach
Watch a demo + walk-through
Practice
Do it with a coach watching
Train
Use it daily with a check-in
Test
Demonstrate competence + earn badge
Ready to go deeper?
The Prepared Patient · Dementia course turns this fact sheet into a guided journey scoped to the dementia umbrella: pre/post knowledge checks, the 10 warning signs + subtype differential in detail, staging, the FINGER bundle as a weekly practice, medication and BPSD framing across subtypes, the cluster-to-cognitive-outcome companion module, expanded care navigation, advance care planning, caregiver wellbeing, badge tests, and your printable Health Passport. Earn Aware → Active → Certified.