Early signs of dementia in an elderly parent: what to look for and what to do next

The early signs of dementia in an elderly parent are rarely spotted in a doctor’s surgery. More often they show up in everyday life, or on a video call or a trip back to Riga: your mum asks the same question several times in one conversation, unopened letters and bills pile up on the table, your dad gets lost on the way to the shop he has walked to for years. On its own that is not a diagnosis, but it is reason enough to go to the family doctor together.

Around 38,000 people in Latvia live with dementia (LSM, 2026), and, as Latvijas Radio 1 has reported, many cases go undiagnosed. According to the World Health Organization, 57 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2021, with around 10 million new cases every year (WHO). Below, we look at what the signs look like in daily life, how to tell them apart from normal ageing, how to get a dementia diagnosis in Latvia and where to find support in Riga.

Early signs of dementia in an elderly parent: what to look for

Doctors describe dementia as problems with memory, judgement, speech and orientation (knowing where you are) that make everyday tasks harder (Veselīgs rīdzinieks). At home it looks far more concrete than that.

Memory and everyday tasks

• Forgets recent events: yesterday’s conversation, the fact that you have already rung, what they had for lunch.
• Repeats the same questions and stories, sometimes within a single conversation.
• Keeps losing things: keys, glasses, purse or wallet.
• Bills go unpaid and letters stay unopened.
• Misses doctor’s appointments, forgets to buy or take medicines.
• Thinks more slowly, finds it hard to learn something new, follow simple instructions or concentrate.
• Familiar jobs such as cooking, doing the washing or making a phone call become more and more of a struggle.

Finding the way, speech and judgement

• Gets lost in familiar places, comes home later than usual.
• Struggles to find words, stops mid-sentence, describes an object instead of naming it (“the thing you write with”).
• Mixes up day and night.
• Lets strangers into the flat or agrees to dubious “special offers” over the phone.

Take getting lost seriously. The US Alzheimer’s Association says 6 in 10 people with dementia will wander off and get lost at least once. If your parent goes missing, start looking straight away and, if you have not found them within 15 minutes, call the emergency services (Alzheimer’s Association); in Latvia the number is 112.

Changes in mood and behaviour

• Apathy: losing interest in things they used to enjoy, no longer visiting friends, giving up hobbies.
• Irritability and anxiety for no obvious reason.
• Withdrawing into themselves.

The WHO notes that changes in mood and withdrawal can appear even before memory problems (WHO). So “Mum just seems a bit indifferent these days” is also worth mentioning to the doctor.

The fridge and the flat

Sometimes the first clue is what you find when you open the fridge: food you brought a week ago still untouched, things that have gone off, or several identical cartons of milk. Look out, too, for unwashed dishes, more mess than usual or, at the other extreme, things tidied away in odd places.

Keep a note of what you notice, when and how often. Examples with dates are far more useful to a doctor than a vague “his memory’s going”.

Normal ageing or a reason to worry?

Remembering things gets a little harder with age, and that is normal. To tell the symptoms of dementia apart from ageing, what matters most is not forgetfulness as such but change: whether your parent is different from how they used to be, and whether it stops them coping with daily life. The table below is based on the signs described in this article and is only a rough guide; it does not replace a doctor’s assessment.

May be normal ageing	A reason to pay attention
Sometimes forgets a name or where something is, but remembers later	Cannot remember recent events, asks the same question several times in one conversation
Occasionally forgets to pay a bill	Bills pile up, and it is unclear what has been paid and what has not
Now and then searches for the right word	Often cannot find words, sentences trail off
Sometimes gets the day of the week wrong	Gets lost somewhere familiar, mixes up day and night
Sometimes does not feel like going out	Persistent apathy; has lost interest in things they used to enjoy
Takes longer to get used to a new phone	No longer copes with familiar things: the cooker, medicines, payments

Not every memory lapse is dementia

Other causes, often treatable, can produce similar symptoms: vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid problems, depression or side effects of medicines. That is why the clinical pathway in Latvia includes blood tests and a review of medicines before a dementia diagnosis is made.

There is also a very practical reason not to put it off. In Riga you cannot apply for a dementia day centre without a certificate from the family doctor confirming the diagnosis, and a certificate is also needed for municipal home care. The sooner things are clear, the sooner the family can get support.

This also helps if your parent is reluctant to see a doctor: you are not saying “you have dementia”, you are suggesting a check-up of their vitamin levels, thyroid and medicines. For ways to raise the subject without upsetting your parent, see our article on talking to someone with dementia.

Getting a dementia diagnosis in Latvia: from the family doctor to a specialist

The Veselības ministrija (Ministry of Health) clinical pathway, approved on 16 May 2025, sets out the following steps (source):

1. Family doctor (ģimenes ārsts). A conversation with the patient and with the family. A short cognitive test: the MMSE, the MoCA or a simpler check (remembering five words, drawing a clock, saying what day it is and where they are).
2. Tests. A urine test and blood tests for thyroid function, electrolytes, vitamin B12, folic acid and thiamine. The doctor also reviews all the medicines your parent takes.
3. Brain scan. Preferably an MRI; a CT scan is used if an MRI is not available within two months.
4. Specialist. A referral to a neurologist or psychiatrist. Latvia has almost no specialist memory clinics, so the route usually begins with the family doctor.

How to prepare for the family doctor appointment

• Go together. The pathway includes a conversation with relatives, and your observations matter. Your parent may not notice the changes, or may play them down. If you live abroad, it is worth planning the appointment around a trip home.
• Bring notes. Concrete examples with dates: when they got lost, which bills went unpaid, which questions they keep repeating.
• Prepare a list of medicines. Every medicine, including over-the-counter remedies and supplements, with doses.
• Say why you are booking. Tell reception that you would like to talk about changes in memory, and ask whether a longer appointment is possible.
• Write down what the doctor says. Referrals, tests, the next step. Once you leave the surgery, it is easy for anyone, not just your parent, to forget what was said.

While you wait for tests

It can take a while to get from the first appointment to a specialist. In the meantime, keep writing down what you notice, check that medicines are being taken as the doctor prescribed, and take your questions to the advisory centre described below.

Dementia support in Riga: where to turn

Dementia advisory centre

Konsultatīvais centrs demences jautājumos (the dementia advisory centre) is at Ģertrūdes iela 12 and is open on weekdays from 8.30am to 5.30pm, telephone +371 61111161. It offers free consultations, seminars for families and regular support groups (infodemence.lv). It is a good place to ask the questions there was no time for at the doctor’s.

Day centres for people with dementia

Riga has six day centres for people with dementia, and they are free for Riga residents (riga.lv).

• Who can use them: people whose declared place of residence is in Riga, following an assessment by Rīgas Sociālais dienests (Riga Social Service).
• Documents: an application, a certificate from the family doctor with the dementia diagnosis and, if needed, a psychiatrist’s report.
• Timescale: a decision is made within 22 working days.
• Trial: your parent can try a centre for 1–5 days, paying only for meals.
• Contact: Rīgas Sociālais dienests, +371 67105048, 80005055, soc@riga.lv.

Municipal home care

If your parent is finding it hard to look after themselves, you can apply for municipal home care (aprūpe mājās) at the local branch of Rīgas Sociālais dienests. You will need a certificate from the family doctor, and a decision is made within a month. In 2026 the service is free if household income is no more than €780 a month per person. For more detail on care levels, documents and costs, see our guide to home care in Riga, and always check the current rules with the social service.

If you care for your parent yourself, ask the social service whether your parent qualifies for “Atelpas brīdis”, a respite service of up to 30 days a year.

How a helper can make a difference in the early stages, and where their role ends

In the early stages of dementia, people often still live at home and manage a good deal on their own. This is when a steady routine, regular exercise and a familiar person who visits often and notices changes help most. If you work, or live in another city or country, that is hard to provide on your own.

At this stage a Your Native Care helper can:

• come on set days and help keep the familiar daily rhythm: a meal together, a walk, a chat, reading the paper or a book;
• go with your parent to the family doctor and for tests, wait during the appointment, help make sense of what the doctor said and see them home again;
• remind them about medicines the doctor has prescribed, help with shopping, go to the chemist, the post office and the bank, pay bills;
• send the family a short report after every visit, so you hear promptly about any change in your parent’s wellbeing.

A helper who comes regularly can spot changes and tell you about them. They do not make a diagnosis; you decide what to do next together with the doctor.

We match helpers by character, interests and language (Latvian or Russian), and the family deals with a single coordinator. Our helpers are vetted through interviews, reference checks and a certificate from the Sodu reģistrs (Latvia’s criminal records register). See our services for more.

Getting started is simple: a free online meeting, an introduction to the helper, then regular visits. It usually takes about a week from the first call to the first visit. There is no long-term contract, and you can start with a single visit. If you live abroad, you can pay and receive the reports from wherever you are. The steps are described on the how it works page.

What we do not do. We are not a medical service: we do not make diagnoses, administer medication or change doses, or carry out medical procedures. We do not provide 24-hour or live-in care. A visit lasts at least 2 hours. If your parent can no longer safely be left alone, helper visits are not enough; for that stage, see when someone with dementia can no longer be left alone. We work alongside municipal home care, not instead of it, and many families use both.

Prices in 2026: monthly packages of 8 hours for €360, 15 hours for €675 or 24 hours for €1,080 (€45 an hour); a one-off visit costs €70 an hour. That is more than a carer’s hourly rate (€10–25 an hour), because it is a different service: a helper matched to your parent, a coordinator, reports, cover when a helper is away, and a contract. A carer, on the other hand, can do work that needs a qualification, such as moving and handling someone who is bed-bound, which we do not do. See all prices on our pricing page.