If you want to understand whether an elderly family member's cognitive function is showing signs of decline, you can actually make a preliminary observation through a simple method. Dietitian Hsu Tzu-chia points out that one practical testing method is to ask the elderly person to name as many different types of "four-legged animals" as possible within 1 minute. As long as they can smoothly name 12 or more, it is considered a "pass."
"Animal Test" Detects Early Signs — 12 or More Counts as a Pass
Dietitian Hsu Tzu-chia shared in a social media post that if you want to know whether an elderly person's cognitive function has changed, you might take out your phone and time 1 minute, asking the elderly person to name as many four-legged animals as possible, such as cats, dogs, lions, tigers, etc. If they can name 12 or more, it is a pass. This testing method comes from one item in the BHT-7 "Brain Health Test." The complete scale has 7 questions in total, and the study included 1,090 subjects aged 50 and above, hoping to more quickly identify clues of mild cognitive impairment and early dementia. However, Hsu Tzu-chia reminds that if an elderly family member cannot name 12, it does not mean they definitely have dementia. This may be related to their mental state and emotions that day, and language and past educational background may also affect test results.
Pay Attention to 4 Major Warning Signs — Seek Medical Evaluation Early
Hsu states that compared with the score of a single test, more attention should be paid to whether the elderly person has recently shown the following 4 signs. If these conditions continue to appear, it is recommended to promptly take the elderly person to neurology, psychiatry, geriatric medicine, or a memory clinic for further evaluation:
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Repeatedly forgetting things just told to them
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Often making mistakes in previously familiar cooking steps
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Easily getting lost, confusing time, or making account errors
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Obvious decline in judgment, communication, and daily living abilities
Master 5 Major Brain-Protection Principles
Hsu emphasizes that protecting the brain absolutely does not rely on a certain miracle food or health supplement, but on daily keeping the body moving, the brain active, and maintaining close connections with people around you. How can elderly people reduce dementia risk in daily life? Hsu mentions that research estimates that by addressing adjustable lifestyle and health risks, about 45% of dementia cases have a chance of being prevented or delayed. She provides the following 5 practices to protect brain health:
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Body movement: Walk every day, do housework, or perform strength training, and reduce prolonged sitting.
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Brain activity: Learn new things, read, play chess, sing, rather than just watching TV or scrolling on the phone all day.
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Interaction: Regularly chat with relatives and friends, attend classes or community activities, and avoid long-term loneliness and isolation.
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Take care of the body: Control blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, and weight; if there are problems with hearing, vision, sleep, and mood, deal with them early.
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Eat the right diet: Choose more vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, nuts, and good oils, and less refined sugar, processed meat, and fried food.
What Are the Symptoms of Early/Middle/Late-Stage Dementia?
According to information from Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, dementia is a disease caused by pathological changes in brain nerve cells that leads to decline in brain function. Patients' memory, understanding, language, learning, calculation, and judgment abilities are all affected, and some will also have changes in emotion, behavior, and perception.
1. Early-Stage Symptoms (Years 1–2)
At this stage, family and friends usually think the patient's symptoms are just a normal aging process due to growing older. Signs are as follows:
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Loss of short-term memory
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Difficulty expressing or understanding abstract matters, such as expressing physical discomfort or feelings
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Mood or behavior changes unpredictably
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Difficulty learning new things and following complex instructions
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Reduced judgment; basic self-care activities can still be handled, but reminders from others are needed
2. Middle-Stage Symptoms (Years 2–5)
As the condition progresses, the patient's early difficulties become more obvious. Changes are as follows:
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Confusing long-term memory with current reality; occasional inability to express meaning in words
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Changes in behavior and personality, or becoming easily emotionally unstable
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Needing others' assistance with daily self-care activities
3. Late-Stage Symptoms (After Year 5)
Patients' lives become almost completely dependent on others, and they cannot care for themselves. Symptoms are as follows:
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Memory deficits, even forgetting familiar people and things
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Decline in physical activity and mental condition
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Inability to effectively express themselves and communicate
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Inability to handle daily life; long-term care needed
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Disruption of the biological clock
Source: Dietitian Hsu Tzu-chia
