Dementia Hawke's Bay launches 'Remember December' campaign

"Richard brought the present with no name on it out four times asking who it was for." Photo / File

It was Christmas Day in Napier, five years ago, and Anita had just realised her husband Richard probably had dementia.

"There was a birthday gift under the tree for our daughter's birthday on 31 December," Anita says.

"Richard brought the present out four times asking who the gift was for as it had no name on it, and he was told each time that the gift was for our daughter's birthday."

Dementia Hawke's Bay says Anita's story is not uncommon. It is running a campaign over the holiday period, asking people to watch out for the signs of dementia in their loved ones.

The campaign, called Remember December, focuses on encouraging people to learn the signs of dementia, and to look for them while spending time with family and friends over the holidays.

"We often get a lot of people contacting us in the new year, as people have picked up the signs and symptoms that a loved one may have dementia over the Christmas, family reunion period," says Dementia New Zealand chief executive Paul Sullivan.

Anita said Richard started to become a little introverted soon after his diagnosis.

"He is a fairly social man and loves a chat but was afraid of what he was going to say to people and of repeating himself."

But after five years, Richard is more positive, saying he is "here for a good time not a long time".

Sullivan said it was important to know the signs of dementia, but to also know what not to look for.

"Repeating a story to your spouse because you forgot you had already shared it is a normal part of any relationship, but if your husband repeats the same story 10 times in a day, taking him to see your GP is in order.

"Forgetfulness is a normal part of life, but memory loss isn't."

The early signs of dementia to look out for are poor short-term memory, inability to carry out common tasks, such as preparing a meal, personality changes, struggling to follow conversations, becoming depressed or withdrawn, difficulty with abstract thinking, poor judgment and disorientation with time and place.